


Released From My Cage

by ReleasedFromHisCage



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut, Gaara & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Hinata dies instead, Hyuuga Neji Lives, M/M, Minor Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, There will be so much sexual tension that it hurts, Very Minor, for the drama, slight neji/sasuke, very slight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-01-26 08:22:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 30
Words: 27,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21371074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReleasedFromHisCage/pseuds/ReleasedFromHisCage
Summary: “I’m not an expert but perhaps sleeping in her room isn’t helping.” Shikamaru drawled while he looked around the room.“It’s not, but I don’t have any other choices right now..” His voice tapered off slightly when Shikamaru turned to look at him with a calculating look in his dark eyes. Neji has seen this look on the shadow wielder before but it usually wasn’t directed towards him. He would only see it when he was making plans or studying an opponent. Like during the war..“Do you need a place to stay, Neji?”“What?”“I have my own apartment. There’s an empty room; you’re welcome to it. I know we don’t know each other well but I don’t have any reason to believe we couldn’t get along.”Neji almost immediately said no but then he caught a glimpse of another framed photo on his cousin’s wall. It showed Hinata smiling nervously while her little sister laughed. His breath caught slightly.“That would be great..” He said quietly
Relationships: Hyuuga Neji/Nara Shikamaru, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 89
Kudos: 273





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I started this fic months ago and got about 12 chapters in before losing motivation but I've started working on it again recently. It's not my best work but it has been pretty fun to write for me so I decided to keep it going. I'll be posting the first two chapters today and then I'll be updating weekly for the rest. I appreciate any support I get on any of my writing, comments and Kudos make my soul fly to the heavens every single time. I hope everyone enjoys this at least a little. I haven't had any help with editing so excuse any mistakes.
> 
> Obviously I don't own the Naruto franchise or any of the characters but Kishi really screwed our babies over in that war arc so I'm gonna change some things. 
> 
> Hope ya'll enjoy.

All Neji knew at that moment was that Naruto needed to live. He didn’t care if he lived or died because he wasn’t in charge of his own life anyway; he had no power to make a change in the world but Naruto could. He was the strongest and the shinobi alliance wouldn’t be able to win this war if he didn’t survive this attack. It was with that train of thought that the prodigy jumped in front of the jinchuriki and was prepared to lay down his life. 

He squeezed his eyes shut and prepared for the end but the hit never came.

“HINATA!” Naruto screamed out 

Neji turned around to see his younger cousin lying face first in the dirt. She had jumped in front of the TenTail’s attack and saved him. He existed only to protect Hinata and the main house, he was nothing. She was not supposed to die for him; that was his job. Naruto leaned over Hinata and pressed two fingers to her pulse. 

“She’s gone..” 

Neji stood in absolute shock and he found himself unable to move when another attack was shot out by the Tailed beast. The war raging on around him was drowned out by the sound of his heart pounding in his ears and blood rushing through his veins.  _ That wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to die and Hinata and Naruto were supposed to live and change the clan and the village. I was supposed to die. This wasn’t supposed to happen.  _

He found himself running without his consent out of the attack's range.  _ The shadow possession? _ He felt his body being forced to leap into safety and landed painfully on his shoulder. 

“Gods Neji, you can’t just be fucking spacing out like that in the middle of a battlefield! What the hell were you thinking?” Shikamaru’s voice was anything but the usual carefree and bored tone he had always used in the past. 

“Why would you save me?” Neji asked still dazed

“Why wouldn’t I save you? Hinata just died for you and you can’t just let her death be in vain because you were paralyzed with shock in a goddamn warzone!”

“Your father..” 

“It’s a war, Neji! Everyone in the alliance has lost people they love but we can’t just check out when the fucking world is at stake. We need to get back out there and win this. We can grieve when the war is over!” 

The Hyuga prodigy nodded slowly, wincing as rolled his shoulder.

“I’ve never done anything like that before..”

“I know that. I haven’t seen you lose your cool since the Chunin Exams; you get a pass but we really need to go.” 

Shikamaru stood swiftly and helped Neji up. 

Another Tailed Beast Bomb detonated in the distance and the ground beneath them shook causing Shikamaru to lose his balance slightly but it was regained quickly. “We have to go!” He yelled before they both set off running back into the crossfire. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I don't own the Naruto franchise or any of it's characters)

The war had not been going in their favor and Madera had been able to cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi upon the whole world, successfully trapping everyone in a world of happy illusions. By the time the genjustu was released the war was over and Naruto had finally had his final battle with Sasuke Uchiha. Both of them had blown off an arm but Naruto was smiling as he ran to his precious people who had survived while Sasuke watched from the sidelines beside Kakashi. Sasuke had to wonder how one person could carry that much love in their heart. 

Sasuke had felt such relief when he had finally lost the battle because deep down he knew that he would’ve never had peace until he had proof that his best friend had the strength to bring about the peace and change that the village and the entire shinobi world needed. The changes that would keep other children from growing up as they did; alone and struggling to simply survive. To clear Itachi Uchiha’s name and bring him the recognition he deserved for the sacrifice he made for the sake of the Village Hidden in the Leaves at the age of only thirteen. 

Sakura hadn’t slowed for a second rushing around healing as many people as she could along with any other Medic ninjas who were still able to move. He glanced to the side to see Ino Yamanaka Curled into Choji’s arms sobbing. She kept screaming “Let me go back! Let me go back!” 

Sai (His replacement on Team 7) was crouched down next to her looking unsure of how to react or comfort her but he seemed to really want to. TenTen stood by Rock Lee who was hugging Gai sensei while they rambled broken speeches about everlasting youth. Kiba sat staring blankly into the distance while his teammate Shino just stood behind him with his hands on his shoulders comforting him. Shikamaru was with Neji and they seemed to be pretty deep in conversation while Tamari stood nearby with her brothers watching the two. Sasuke was unable to read the emotion’s on Neji’s face but he was sure it was a mask. He knew those well, he spent his childhood learning to read his father’s and his dear older brother’s as well. Then he had to perfect his own for the sake of survival for years and now he was unsure anyone would ever be able to crack it.  _ Well, maybe there’s one person who could.. _

“It’s guaranteed that he will be made Hokage now.” Kakashi said while he watched his blonde student being surrounded by his fellow shinobi. He had earned the acknowledgement of not only the village but everyone. Including the only one who mattered, the great and powerful Sasuke Uchiha. 

Sasuke allowed his lips to form a smile, it felt unnatural on his face but he couldn’t fight it off. 

“He’s the leader the village needs.” 

Kakashi turned his eyes to his former student, shocked that this was the same kid that tried to bring down his friend just the day before. No one could understand the inner workings of Sasuke’s mind, the only one who has gotten close enough to glimpse into it had been Naruto. Of course, it shouldn't be a surprise that the only thing to bring Sasuke back to the brink of sanity would be getting his ass beat by Naruto Uzumaki. 

Naruto walked back to their side slinging his arm over Kakashi’s shoulder with the biggest grin stretched across his face. “Granny Tsunade is retiring, Your turn!” 

Kakashi stared at him “I thought you were taking her place..” 

Naruto laughed, pulling off of Kakashi’s shoulders to grab Sasuke’s remaining hand to drag him to meet his friends from the rest of the villages. 

“Not quite yet, sensei!” he called over his shoulder before pulling Sasuke into the crowd.

“Well, Fuck. ” Kakashi muttered through grit teeth.  _ I just can’t catch a break.  _


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to regularly update this fic, but I missed an update already and I'm so sorry! I'm in the middle of a very intense manic episode and can't hold much focus on anything or sleep. It was brought to my attention that these chapters are really short but that is because I was writing them from scene to scene. So I've attempted to combine chapters to make them a little bit longer. I hope that it makes it easier to enjoy for you guys.  
I really do appreciate every little bit of support I get from readers, it really is the best thing in my life right now. so thank all of you!
> 
> As always, I do not own Naruto or anything from the franchise. It is simply my only reason for living.

It’s only been a couple of weeks since the war and Neji has yet to leave the compound at all since they’ve been back. It still hasn’t been completely rebuilt since the village was levelled out by the Pain invasion. Hiashi had allowed Neji to stay in Hinata’s old room, he knew that sleeping in her bed and being surrounded by her belongings was not going to help his overwhelming guilt but at the moment he truly had no other options. 

He has tried burying himself into studies and training but there wasn’t anything that could distract him from the fact that he had been allowed to survive because of Hinata’s sacrifice. Naruto would have survived if Neji had been hit by the attack. He wondered if she had realized that but he quickly brushed off the thought, Hinata had felt guilt for her place in the main household and Neji’s oppression because of his place in the Branch family. She had been working hard to earn her place as the head of the clan so she could change to ways in which the Hyuga clan is run. She essentially left Naruto and Neji the job of changing clan politics for the better, Naruto had promised Neji during the Chunin exams that he would fix the clan when he was appointed Hokage. Now it seems as though he really will stand by his word. 

TenTen has tried to pull him out of Hinata’s room but he just couldn’t bear it yet. Lee hasn’t come by yet but he has probably been glued to their Sensei’s side while he recovers from opening the 8th inner gate. He wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for Naruto’s huge surge of power near the end of the war. Rock Lee must know that too. 

Neji sat at Hinata’s desk; attempting to focus on the scroll he was studying; trying and failing to ignore the framed photo of Hinata with her team that sat on the back corner of the desk when there was a knock on the door. Neji released a shallow breath.

“TenTen, I’m not going out! I can’t do it yet.” he shouted. 

“It’s not TenTen and I’m not here to get you to come out.” _ Shikamaru? _

He stood and opened the door to see the shadow wielder holding up a paper bag. 

“I brought you food, TenTen is worried and I’m sure you aren’t eating properly. It’s a salad because I’m sure you don’t like junk food.” He drawled and placed it into Neji’s hand. 

Neji stared at it before looking up at Shikamaru. “You barely even know me; why would you do this?” 

“You don’t have to be close to someone to show concern for them in a time of grief.” The Nara replied cooly with a lazy wave of his hand. He turned to leave but Neji spoke up to ask if he’d like to stay. 

Shikamaru stopped and turned back to him. “If you’d be okay with it, I wouldn’t mind the company either.” 

Neji gestured him into the room before closing the door behind them and sitting the bag on the desk, Intentionally covering the picture frame from view. 

“I’m not an expert but perhaps sleeping in her room isn’t helping.” Shikamaru drawled while he looked around the room.

“It’s not, but I don’t have any other choices right now..” His voice tapered off slightly when Shikamaru turned to look at him with a calculating look in his dark eyes. Neji has seen this look on the shadow wielder before but it usually wasn’t directed towards him. He would only see it when he was making plans or studying an opponent. Like during the war..

“Do you need a place to stay, Neji?” 

“What?”

“I have my own apartment. There’s an empty room; you’re welcome to it. I know we don’t know each other well but I don’t have any reason to believe we couldn’t get along.”

Neji almost immediately said no but then he caught a glimpse of another framed photo on his cousin’s wall. It showed Hinata smiling nervously while her little sister laughed. His breath caught slightly. 

“That would be great..” He said quietly

Shikamaru nodded and looked away before he responded. “Are you gonna need me to speak with your uncle?” 

Neji shook his head and looked at his feet. 

“Well that’s good, seems troublesome..” Shikamaru chuckled before pointing to the bag on the desk. “Now eat, Hyuga. You look like shit.” 

.............................................................

Naruto had dragged Sasuke to the Hokage mountain and they were sitting on top of the Fourth Hokage's stone head. Meeting Naruto’s reanimated father during the war and watching the jinchuriki having to say goodbye once more had felt like a poisoned Kunai into the heart for Sasuke. The blonde always looked cheerful but he had been spending a lot of time in this spot looking down on the slowly rebuilding village below.

Sasuke had been planning on leaving the village again after he was released and pardoned of his crimes after the war; with permission this time, of course. However, he found that he couldn’t bear to see that look in Naruto’s eyes when he mentioned it. The blonde didn’t comment but the blue in his eyes seemed to dull when he heard the words, so he decided to stay. At least for now anyway.

“Have you spoken to Sakura at all?” Naruto asked as he leaned back on his hand awkwardly 

Sasuke looked at the blonde from the corner of his eye. “Why would I need to?” 

Naruto chuckled as he pushed himself up and pulled his knees to his chest. 

“I think she’s waiting for you to ask her on a date.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes and looked up to the sky. He took a deep breath before responding. 

“I have something I need to tell you, Naruto.”

Naruto’s head snapped to the side to look at him. 

“I’m not going to be with Sakura.” He said

The blonde tilted his head to the side with a questioning look.

“Why not?” Naruto asked. 

“I’m gay, Naruto. I’m not interested in women at all.” He said cooly; not allowing his voice or face to give away how nervous he was. Naruto looked surprised for a second and then he started laughing obnoxiously. 

“What?” Sasuke asked incredulously “Why would that be funny?”

“It’s not.” Naruto stated while he continued to laugh “I just think it’s funny that literally every girl you have ever met swoons over you and you don’t even like women. Oh man, the ladies are gonna be so disappointed!” 

Sasuke’s lips quirked a little in the corner _and_ looked out at the village again. _ Naruto hadn’t seemed phased at all by my confession, he’s just amused by the irony. He’s an idiot. _

“I thought you’d be more bothered.” Sasuke stated when Naruto finally stopped laughing.

“Well I’m pretty sure I’m bisexual, so really it’s not a big deal to me” Naruto stated with a comforting grin while rubbing the back of his head. 

“Hn.” 

The sun was starting to set and both ninjas watched in silence for a while. Sasuke could see his loud obnoxious friend from childhood in Naruto at times but there were still times when he would find himself wondering if his friend was the same kid as before. He seemed uncomfortable with all of the attention he was receiving and rarely left Sasuke’s side at all since he had been released. The Uchiha couldn’t bring himself to be annoyed about it; he was honestly glad to feel himself going back to normal. Not that he had ever been normal but Naruto made it possible to pretend. 

“Sasuke..” Naruto whispered so quietly Sasuke wouldn’t have heard him if he hadn’t trained all of his senses to be alert at all times while he trained under Orochimaru. 

“What is it?” He said finally looking back to Naruto, who was staring at his remaining hand. Sasuke felt a pang of hurt in his chest but made an effort to ignore it. 

Naruto continued sitting in silence. 

“What’s wrong?” Sasuke was starting to get nervous at the sudden change in his friend’s tone.

“Have you thought about the fact that we were meant to be important in each other’s lives? Like..” His voice tapered off slightly and he let out a shaky breath. “People say stuff like that all the time about people they care about but we were literally put in each other’s path by the universe.” 

Sasuke’s eyes widened. “Naruto..”

“A godlike entity even told us..I mean, I have actual proof that I was meant to..” His voice caught and Sasuke stared at him. _ Meant to what? _

Naruto dropped his hand and shook his head. “Nevermind, you wanna get ramen?” 

“Sure..”

The blonde grinned and pushed himself up. 

“Let’s go then!” He said as he began walking away.

_ What the hell was that? What was he going to say? _


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I still don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise)
> 
> Thank everyone who's still reading!

Neji spent several hours playing Shoji with Shikamaru before the shadow wielder was summoned to the Hokage office to help Kakashi settle into his new role. He lost every game but he knew that this was Shikamaru’s game, Neji had heard that the only person to ever beat him had been his own father. It seemed that being a genius just flowed through every Nara’s veins. 

Once Shikamaru left, Neji knew he needed to speak to his uncle as soon as possible. So he went to find Hiashi immediately before he could lose the courage he needed. He found the elder Hyuga standing in front of a window in his office. 

“Uncle, May I have a word with you?” Neji asked as he did his usual bow.

“You may. stand up Neji, you have more than earned your right to be treated as an equal in this family.” His uncle said in a stern voice

Neji straightened up immediately and cleared his throat nervously.

“Yes, Uncle. I mean.. Thank you..” He said suddenly having difficulty looking Hiashi in the eye. “Shikamaru Nara has offered to allow me to live in his apartment in the extra bedroom. I’d like to ask for your blessing on the matter.” 

Hiashi placed his hand on his shoulder. Neji stared at the hand on his shoulder and back to his uncle. “Neji, I’m so sorry you’ve lived your life like this, you’re 18 years old and shouldn’t feel the need to ask permission for this. You’ve really been like a son to me and now that Hinata is gone..” He pulled his hand away. “I don’t want to be the reason you feel like a prisoner anymore.” 

Neji stood with his mouth agape in a completely undignified expression that no Hyuga should ever be seen with. “What?” 

“I’m releasing you from your duties as a branch family member. You are welcome on the compound at any time but you are free to move in with whoever you’d like and be whoever you decide to be.” 

Uncle... are you being serious?” 

“I am.” 

“Thank you.” He whispered 

“Go pack.” His uncle said before turning back to the window

Neji nodded slowly and quickly turned and nearly ran from the room.

...........................................................

Shikamaru found himself back at the Hyuga compound after he left the Hokage tower, He felt unsure why he had invited Neji to live with him. He wasn’t sure of anything anymore, his father was gone and his mother was too difficult to handle with her grief. He loved her and wanted to be there for her but his own grief was overwhelming him already.

Ino had lost her father just as he did but they handled it so differently. She wanted to tell stories and remember him, while Shikamaru just wanted to forget. He threw himself into helping Kakashi and when he wasn’t doing that he found himself sitting in the Nara forest with a bottle of cheap sake. Even the deer seemed unsure around him; like he’s not the same person who brought them snacks or helped take care of them when they were sick. In a way, he wasn’t that same person.

After asking Hiashi Hyuga where Neji might be and bowing graciously he set out to find the Hyuga prodigy. He found him in the clan cemetery kneeling in front of a stone, the stone had no name unlike the rest of the graves surrounding it. Shikamaru was about to call out to him when he heard him speaking to the stone; he fell silent and found himself hiding in the shadows that the slowly darkening sky provided. 

“Father, I have been released from my cage. I’m free to choose my destiny now, I wish you could be here to see me fly free.” Neji placed his palm onto the stone. “I will not waste this opportunity. I will do everything you never could, father.” 

Neji bowed to the grave and stood up; he looked up to the sky where the stars were beginning to emerge. Shikamaru hesitated but decided to approach the young Hyuga. Neji noticed his presence quickly and turned to look at him. 

“Nara?”

“Hey Neji, I’m sorry.. I uh.. I didn't mean to intrude on a moment like that…” Shikamaru felt so awkward, more so than he had in a really long time.

Neji looked back to the stone and smiled slightly “It’s okay, What are you doing here?” he asked as he looked back to the Shadow wielder. 

Shikamaru finally came to understand what he had just witnessed; He stared at the prodigy as he remembered what Neji being set free really meant.

“You were released from your duties..? Neji that’s huge!” Shikamaru wanted to punch himself in the face when Neji stared at him in surprise but then he smiled; unlike any he’d ever seen on the Hyuga before. 

“Thank you.” He said 

“Do you still wanna move in?” He asked 

“Of course I do, Nara.” He said with a smile

Shikamaru was unsure why he had felt relief at the statement nodded slowly. “You want to get food?” He asked cooly; He didn’t expect a yes but that’s what he got. 

“I think Ichiraku is open, but I don’t know if you actually like ramen…” Shikamaru said awkwardly.

“I don’t mind ramen actually, my uncle doesn’t really allow junk food much but..” Neji’s tapered off and Shikamaru held back a smile. “I’m free to eat what I want now!” He said and grabbed Shikamaru’s wrist; pulling him to the compound gates. Shikamaru followed behind watching the older ninja as he pulled him toward the compound exit. Neji had a smile on his face and it seemed like the Nara was looking at a totally different person. _ He looks so nice when he smiles like that. _He shook his head as if it would cancel out the thought and just allowed himself to be led. Neji only released his wrist when they got to the gate. He walked with his normal grace while Shikamaru stuck his hands in his pockets beside him.

Neji and Shikamaru walked side by side in comfortable conversation to Ichiraku. Neji laughed as he told him about finding Kakashi on the roof reading his porn when there were stacks and stacks of paperwork on his desk. Neji’s laughter only got louder when Shikamaru accounted how Kakashi threw the book at Lee when he began one of his flowery speeches but he had missed and Shikamaru got hit in the face with it instead. He muttered, “How the hell did that pervert end up Hokage, it’s troublesome.” 

Neji almost doubled over in laughter next to him and Shikamaru found himself wanting to tell more stories to keep that laugh going. He had never heard Neji laugh like that, he found that he liked the sound. He smiled slightly and shook his head as they reached the newly rebuilt ramen stand. They stepped in to find that Naruto was sitting with Sasuke at the very end of the bar. Naruto turned away from the old man behind the counter to wave at them before continuing to tell a very dramatic story to the man while he waited for his food. Sasuke sat beside him smiling to himself at his friend’s exaggerated account of the events of the war.

“I’m telling you! The reverse harem jutsu totally worked on her! Sakura didn’t think it would but I proved her wrong; right Sasuke?

“You’re an idiot.” He said to him but the smile never left his face.

Neji and Shikamaru slipped into the stools next to them and called out their orders; They both chuckled as Naruto began yelling playfully at the Uchiha. Neji was glad to see Naruto so happy, he even found himself looking more closely at the Uchiha. Neji could see why women swooned over him, He obviously only has eyes for Naruto though but the blond is probably too dense to notice 

Shikamaru leaned to whisper in the Hyuga’s ear, “I wonder if they know how gay they are for each other.” Neji almost choked on his drink and burst out laughing. 

Naruto and Sasuke turned to look at him; Naruto looked at him with surprise and Sasuke was giving him a questioning look which only made Neji laugh harder. Shikamaru looked between Neji and the other two ninjas and chuckled quietly as the food was sat in front of them. 

He felt a little too smug that he was the one to make Neji laugh like that.

.........................................

Sasuke stared at the laughing Hyuga; he couldn’t remember ever seeing him even smile. He supposed that could have changed over the last few years that he had been gone but judging by Naruto’s expression as he looked at the prodigy, this must be pretty new to him too. Neji was still just as attractive as he had been in their genin days, Sasuke found himself staring. Naruto had a grin on his face as he turned back to him. Sasuke tore his gaze away from the Hyuga to look at his best friend.  _ No one is quite like this idiot though.  _ He smiled at him a little and turned back to his food suddenly feeling a little awkward. 

Neji regained his composure after a few moments and smiled at Shikamaru, Sasuke saw Shikamaru smirk a little before he broke apart the chopsticks. He suddenly wondered what the shadow nin had said to him but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Naruto’s voice. “How’s Kakashi settling into his new job?” 

Shikamaru let his head drop a little and Neji looked like he was holding back a laugh once again beside him. “I might as well have been given the job, you couldn’t tear that man from his porn if the world was ending. Much less for paperwork. 

“Try training with the bastard” Sasuke muttered and Naruto laughed loudly. 

“Yeah! He wouldn’t put that book down even during a spar.” Naruto agreed.

“At least your Sensei didn’t wear spandex and cry all the time.” Neji offered from his seat

Shikamaru would’ve choked if he hadn’t just swallowed the food in his mouth. Naruto laughed at that and Sasuke chuckled beside him. “I can imagine that being pretty traumatizing too.” 

Shikamaru started slightly at hearing the Uchiha making a joke but was suddenly distracted by Neji's laugh. “God, it was. I just wasn’t youthful enough to keep up with them I guess.” 

They all sat together joking and laughing until it was time for the stand to close. They were all about to go their separate ways but Naruto offered to get some drinks. Surprisingly Neji said yes and everyone else agreed; Mostly out of curiosity. No one had ever seen the prodigy drink before.  _ This should be an interesting night.  _ Shikamaru thought to himself as they headed off. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our boys drinking together in this chapter, is it gonna be a little bit gay? absolutely.  
I'm not completely happy with this chapter but I still hope you guys like it!  
(I still don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise.)

They all found themselves back at Naruto’s small apartment with 3 bottles of sake, they had gone through two in the past couple of hours and everyone was happily buzzed. Sasuke sat on the couch while Naruto laid his head in his lap. The blonde was laughing loudly at a story Neji was telling about his sensei and his teammates from his spot on the floor. Shikamaru sat on the floor with his back leaning against the couch smiling to himself as he smoked his cigarette. 

Sasuke watched the others with interest, he had never been able to deal with people other than Naruto. Not like this at least. Neji seemed so calm; it was a huge change from the kid he remembered. He wondered what had happened to make that kind of change possible. Sasuke found he was intrigued by him and judging from the intensity of Shikamaru’s gaze on the brunette, he wasn’t the only one. 

Neji flopped back on the floor rather ungracefully and laughed causing Naruto to shake with laughter in his lap. Shikamaru smirked a little as he leaned his head back against the couch. Sasuke’s hand found itself in Naruto’s blond hair before he could think about it. Naruto looked up at him, Sasuke went to pull away but Naruto shook his head and leaned into the touch. Sasuke felt his cheeks warm but he tangled his fingers into the messy hair again and leaned his head back against the cushion behind his back as Naruto joined back into the conversation. 

Shikamaru had noticed Sasuke’s curious looks at the Hyuga throughout the night and really; He couldn’t blame him for being interested. Neji looked great right now, he had pulled his hair out of the tie and it was spread messily around his head on the floor. His cheeks were flushed and he was laughing, Shikamaru had never seen anything like it before. 

“Shikamaru!” Neji called his name; drawing his attention back to him. He looked at the Hyuga through the whisps of smoke rising in front of him.

“Commere!” Neji slurred and Shikamaru found himself unable to deny the request. He sighed quietly as he crushed out the cigarette moved next to Neji. 

“What?” He asked and he found himself on the floor, next to the giggling Hyuga. 

“Troublesome..” he muttered but Neji looked to him with those eyes and he felt he needed to restrain himself kissing the prodigy. He was supposed to be moving in with him and Shikamaru realized that things were about to get very complicated. 

Neji stared at Shikamaru, suddenly seeing the faint freckles over his nose and the intensity in those dark eyes. _ He’s kinda cute.. _

“How long have they been like that?” Sasuke whispered to Naruto

“I’ve rarely even seen them talk before..” Naruto replied quietly as he watched the two geniuses on the floor, they didn’t seem to even notice them looking. 

Neji sat up from his spot suddenly as if he had just remembered the two weren’t alone. 

“I’m opening the last bottle.” he said as he stood to walk into the kitchen.

“Shit.” Shikamaru muttered under his breath as he pulled out his pack. 

.......................................

Shikamaru woke up the next morning with a killer headache and a sore back from sleeping in a pile of blankets on the floor. Neji had taken the couch and was still sound asleep. Sasuke and Naruto had gone back into Naruto’s bedroom at some point in the night and hadn’t come out yet. Shikamaru had to help Kakashi today though; He wouldn’t be up before everyone else otherwise. He ran his hand over his face and sat up. 

He pulled out his pack that had been crushed in his pocket as he slept and put one in between his lips. He fumbled for a lighter but found himself unable to find his. _ Fucking troublesome. _

Naruto’s bedroom door opened and Sasuke quickly stepped out, he froze when he saw the Nara was awake but he recovered quickly. He walked silently into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of painkillers from a cabinet. He took two and held out the bottle to Shikamaru. 

Shikamaru stood and took the bottle in his hand. He removed the cigarette from his lips. “Thanks man.” he muttered before popping two in his own mouth. 

“Did you lose your lighter?” Sasuke asked, taking back the bottle and placing it on the counter.

“Uh.. yeah..” Shikamaru hadn’t spoken to Sasuke in years, at least not alone like this. 

Sasuke nodded and walked into the living room quietly. He pulled open a drawer and pulled out a lighter very similar to the one Asuma used to use and a half-empty pack. He picked up the ashtray off the floor and brought it to the table and sat awkwardly. He lit a cigarette and held the lighter out to Shikamaru. 

“Naruto lets you smoke?” He asked as he took the lighter and lit his own.

Sasuke shrugged and took a drag before responding. “He’s pretty understanding, that probably won’t last long though.”

“Probably not.” Shikamaru agreed. 

They smoked in silence for a couple of minutes. 

“I heard you led the mission to retrieve me when I left to go to Orochimaru.” Sasuke said suddenly; breaking the silence. 

“I did.” Shikamaru replied, glancing at the Uchiha.

“I’m sorry.” 

“It’s troublesome holding grudges,” Shikamaru replied before crushing out his cigarette. “Neji doesn’t drink so he’s probably gonna feel like hell when he wakes up.” 

“I’ll handle him” 

“Thanks, I need to go to the Hokage tower to help Kakashi.” Shikamaru stood and grabbed his vest from the counter. 

“Hide his porn and maybe he’ll do his job,” Sasuke said with a smirk

Shikamaru chuckled as he opened the door and stepped out. _ I’ll never be used to him making jokes, it’s weird. _He thought to himself as he crammed his hands in his pockets and started making his way to the Hokage tower.

.....................................

Neji woke up to the sound of hushed voices in the kitchen, he stayed quiet to listen. Sasuke seems different, more normal than he remembers. Shikamaru closed the door behind him and Neji contemplated whether he should pretend to still be asleep or not. He had never been alone with the Uchiha before. 

He heard a lighter flick open again and he could smell smoke. He decided he should probably get up; he still had to pack today. He groaned quietly as he pushed his back up off the couch. Sasuke looked up at him.

“You’re up.” He stated.

“I am.” he answered; turning to place his feet onto the wood floor. 

“Why is it so fucking cold in here?” He complained, “And bright.” 

Sasuke smirked at him as he took another drag and put out the cigarette. “You’re just hungover” he explained and tossed the pain killers to him. Neji caught it with ease and looked at it. 

“Take two, you might need some water to wash it down. Either way, you’re gonna need to drink water or you’ll get dehydrated.” 

Sasuke stood and filled a glass with water; he brought it to the prodigy and sat on the arm of the couch. Neji muttered his thanks and did as he was told. He had never had to take medicine before; it tasted gross. He groaned and flopped back on the couch. Sasuke smirked at him and cocked up a brow. “You overdo it, Hyuga?”

Neji didn’t even have the energy to be infuriated by Sasuke’s superior tone. _ Guess he’s not that different after all. _“Obviously I did, Uchiha.” 

He had overdone it; he was so happy to be free of the clan’s rules that he had acted like an idiot. He grimaced as he recalled flirting with Shikamaru so openly; he hoped it hadn’t been obvious. The shadow wielder had looked good though, really fucking good. _ I shouldn’t be moving in with him. It’s gonna be complicated. _Even so, Neji decided he didn’t want to back out.

Sasuke’s smirk grew and he stood to close the curtains

“Thank you.” Neji murmured as he tied his hair back. “I made myself look like an idiot.” 

“You looked happy, you look good when you’re happy.” Sasuke said with a shrug as he walked back to the table.

“Seems you’ve gone soft, Uchiha.” Neji smirked at him and downed the rest of the glass. 

“Blond idiots will do that to you.” Sasuke replied as he sat back into the chair.

The prodigy chuckled and shook his head “I can see that, Naruto can turn a demon into a good guy.” 

“What about me?” 

The two ninjas turned quickly to the blond standing in his doorway, already dressed for the day but his hair was still sticking up everywhere. 

“Your magical ability to turn bad guys into softies.” Sasuke replied with a smirk

“Some take longer than others, Bastard.” He said without the usual bite behind it. “How are you feeling, Neji?” 

“I’m fine.” 

“Good.” Naruto grinned 

“You need the pain killers?” Neji asked.

Naruto shook his head as he filled a glass up with water from the sink and leaned back against the counter. “Kurama’s healing abilities make it pretty hard to stay drunk so I don’t really get hangovers.” 

Neji nodded and looked back down at the floor. 

“Oh, I forgot to tell Shikamaru that Gaara and Tamari will be coming soon.” Naruto said and Sasuke shook his head. 

“I’ll tell him, I’ll be moving my things over there later today anyway.” Neji said

“You’re moving in with him?” Naruto asked 

“Yeah, I needed a place to stay and he offered.” 

Neji didn’t miss the smirk that formed on Sasuke’s lips as he said it but Naruto just nodded and sat the empty glass down. “I’ve got to get going, I have to go study with Iruka today.”

“Hn.” 

“I’ll miss you too, Bastard.” The blond said as he playfully punched the Uchiha in the arm as he walked to the door.

“You guys go eat or something, you both look like crap!” He called over his shoulder before closing the door behind him.

“What’s with the smirk, Uchiha?” Neji asked

“oh, it's nothing.” 

_ Infuriating _Neji thought 

_ He’s still so fucking infuriating. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise)  
It's still my reason for living though. Anyway, hope you guys like this chapter!

Sasuke made them both a small breakfast and they ate in silence; both being pretty comfortable with silence kept it from being awkward. Once they were finished Neji started preparing to leave. 

“You know, I kinda like this version of you better.” Neji said as he untangled his long hair with his fingers.

“I could say the same for you, Hyuga.” Sasuke replied from his spot at the kitchen sink. He turned off the water and dried his hands on his pants. Luckily he had already been staying here more often than not so he didn’t have to wear those disturbingly orange pants Naruto seemed so fond of because he had some of his own stuff here. He had to go buy some new clothes because he really didn’t have much in the first place. Luckily he had been allowed his family’s inheritance despite being a criminal for most of his adolescence. Most likely because Kakashi still had a soft spot for him, or Naruto could have made him. Naruto still seemed to have a lot of power despite not being made Hokage yet; It was only a matter of time at this point. 

“Why is the Kazekage coming anyway? Do you know?” Neji asked,  Sasuke shook his head stiffly and turned towards him. 

“I don’t know, he could be coming for business or he could be coming simply to visit Naruto.” He finally answered

“You’re okay with that?” Neji said as he struggled with a particularly tough tangle in his hair, grimacing when he finally pulled it loose with a painful tug. Sasuke stiffened slightly but recovered quickly enough for it to go unnoticed, or he thought so at least.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” He asked, trying to keep his voice as casual as possible.

“I’m not as dense as Naruto is” Neji swatted the air lazily and started to pull his hair up into a low ponytail.

“I..uh.. Yeah I guess I’m fine.” Sasuke replied, mentally cursing himself for stuttering. 

“Hm.” Neji hummed “Okay, well I’m going to go pack.” 

He opened the door and stepped out of the apartment. Leaving a startled Sasuke standing alone in the kitchen staring at the door.  _ I wonder who else knows.. _

_ ....................................... _

Naruto really hated having to study all of this, he was well beyond Jonin level already. He understood why it was necessary but that doesn’t make it any less annoying. He looked up at Iruka who was sitting at his own desk and sighed. He closed the book he had finished pulled the next one off of the pile. 

_ _

There was a knock on the door and Shikamaru stepped in with a scroll under his arm and a pile of paperwork. “Kakashi asked me to bring these to you. These are proposals for changes in the Academy.” Shikamaru drawled and sat the pile on his desk. He took the scroll out from under his arm and handed it to Iruka. 

_ _

“Thank you, Shikamaru. I’ll go over these as soon as I can.” Iruka smiled at the Nara warmly.

_ _

“Well, if you need anything just talk to Kakashi. I’m gonna be taking the rest of the day off to help Neji with the move.”

_ _

Naruto looked up from his book and watched the shadow nin leave in silence, once the door closed he looked at Iruka. He looked confused. 

_ _

“Neji is moving into Shikamaru’s spare bedroom.” He explained

_ _

“I wasn’t even aware they were friends,” Iruka said as he looked at the door.

_ _

“I guess that changed in the war.” Naruto responded, “Neji seemed to go into shock when Hinata died, I saw Shikamaru use his Shadow Possession to save him from an attack.”

_ _

Iruka stared at him for a moment before he nodded slowly. “Well, I guess that’s one way to start a friendship.”

_ _

The jinchuriki nodded and returned to his book.

.............................................

Shikamaru ran into Neji and TenTen on the way way back to Naruto’s apartment, he had assumed that Neji would have stayed a little longer to deal with the hangover. He was going to walk up to them but he stopped when he heard TenTen talking.

“Why would you move in with him?” She asked, “I mean, I’m happy for you and all but you’ve barely even spoken to Shikamaru before.” 

“He saved my life in the war, I’m pretty sure I can sleep in his spare bedroom safely.” Neji said sounding annoyed. Obviously, this conversation hadn’t just started.

“You could have stayed with me.” She replied

“No, I’m sorry but I couldn’t.” He said cooly before turning to walk away. “Look, I need to go.”

Tenten growled and reached into her ninja pouch, Shikamaru didn’t know her well but he could tell where this was going. He quickly used the necessary hand seals and caught her in his shadows. 

“What the fuck!” She squealed, he could feel her trying and failing to fight his shadows.

“Look, you need to chill. I’m not going to hurt Neji, I gave him my spare bedroom to get him out of Hinata’s room. It was making him worse.” he said as he moved forward. Making her mirror his movements. “I’m gonna let you go now.” 

He dropped the Jutsu and she turned to look at him. “What do you want with him?” she asked and Shikamaru didn't miss the bitterness behind her words.

“I don’t want anything but to help him, don’t ask why because I don’t know either but I like being around him.” He admitted 

“I’ve been by his side since we were genin, I wasn’t able to help him even no matter how hard I tried” Tenten was raising her voice and Shikamaru was prepared to trap her in his shadows again at a moments notice. “Why were you able to get through to him?”

“He grieves the way I do, quietly. I haven’t made him talk about it, I make sure he eats but other than that I don’t treat him any differently than I did before.” he explained calmly, “He doesn’t want to talk about it, he just wants to move on.”

TenTen stared at him for a moment before storming past him and he turned and watched her. He shook his head and continued on toward the compound where he assumed Neji would’ve gone. He walked slowly; so Neji would have time to cool off if he needed to before he got there but he still got there fairly quickly. He stopped at the gate where a guard stood, “I’m here to see Neji.” He spoke calmly.

The guard nodded and gestured for him to enter the compound, He went to Hinata’s room first and found Neji leaning against two boxes that were fully packed. He held an unframed picture in his hand and was staring blankly at it. 

“Neji?” Shikamaru spoke softly

“Oh, Hello Shikamaru. Come in, I’m sorry I didn’t notice you.” 

The Nara nodded slightly, he was slightly concerned because Neji had never been one to space out and not notice another presence in the room but he didn’t comment. Instead, he just gestured at the photo questioningly.

“My uncle came in a while ago and gave me this.” Neji held out the photo “It’s my father and uncle Hiashi before they were separated as main and branch family members.”

“Oh.” Shikamaru crouched down and looked at the photo without touching it, he felt like he shouldn’t touch something like that. Neji pulled back the picture and looked at it. 

“It feels like our whole family looks the same.” He said

“You do have common traits but you don’t look exactly like your father and uncle.” Shikamaru said “My dad said he knew your father. Apparently you get a lot more attention for your looks than he did.” 

“Attention?” Neji asked looking confused 

“You’ve never noticed?”

Neji shook his head and Shikamaru chuckled a little. _Of course he doesn’t realize the attention he gets, he’s too focused on being the best all the time._ “Well, you’re pretty popular with the ladies.” 

“I..I don’t like women,” Neji admitted

“Luckily Ino and Sai seem to have something going on. I would’ve hated to break the news about both you and Sasuke.” Shikamaru chuckled and sat down. 

“That doesn’t bother you?” 

“No, it’s fine. I’m attracted to both.” The shadow nin said with a lazy wave of his hand. 

The silence stretched for a moment before Shikamaru tapped the boxes with his finger. “Do you need help?” 

“This is it. Branch family members don’t have many possessions.” The prodigy replied

“Oh, well we should work on that.” Shikamaru stood and picked up the top box. “Let’s go.” 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating early, very early.  
I hope you guys like it!  
Neji is pretty OOC in this fic because he was released from his duties, it gives him the chance to relax a little and who better to teach him how than Shikamaru? No one, that's right.  
(I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise, it is simply my reason for living.)

It only took about thirty minutes to unpack all of his possessions, he doesn’t have many anyway. The apartment was surprisingly neat so he assumed that Shikamaru had just recently moved in or just didn’t spend much time here. Neji studied his new room with vague interest, it was plain but there was a decent-sized bed already made up in neutral colored blankets and sheets. The prodigy smiled a little, wondering what his cousin would have said about him moving in with the laziest shinobi in the village. 

She probably would have smiled and said it would be good for him, that maybe he could learn to relax a little. That’s how Hinata was, always the mother hen despite being younger than him. 

He allowed his mask to break for a single moment to frown and sat down on the bed.  _ I miss her stupid optimism and annoying nurturing personality. I fucking miss her.  _ The prodigy doesn’t notice his new roommate look in at him through the partially opened door with poorly concealed worry. Nor does he notice the look in Shikamaru’s eyes that indicated he was attempting to use his strategizing skills to formulate his next move. 

Neji exhales loudly and closes his eyes against the burn that’s starting to build up in them.  _ It’s completely fine. I’m fine, I have to be.  _ Shikamaru steps back quietly out of view only to step back forward as if he'd just gotten there. He knows the Hyuga prodigy well enough to know that he wouldn't want to be seen grieving or be pitied, so he decided on a different approach. He knocks on the door frame quietly and tries to summon his typical lazy tone for his greeting. 

"Hey Hyuga, have you eaten at all?" 

Shikamaru knows Neji must be startled but gives the older man a moment to slip back on his metaphorical mask before glancing in. 

"I ate with Uchiha earlier" he answers, so stoically that if Shikamaru hadn't seen it himself he wouldn't have believed the slip had even happened. It always amazed the Nara how Neji could do that, it must be exhausting.

"Okay cool, you down for a game of shoji then?" He asks, pointing over his shoulder. 

Neji laughs quietly at that and shakes his head, "I am always down for a game of Shoji."

Shikamaru grins and turns on the balls of his feet to go to the living room, his new roommate following close behind.

........................................... 

A few hours later Neji flops onto the couch, having become so frustrated at losing to the lazy genius repeatedly. 

"I'm gonna beat you one day you know." He says matter of factly

"Whatever you say, Hyuga." Shikamaru drawls, pulling out a cigarette and his lighter. Surprised that his new roommate hasn't said anything about the cigarettes yet. 

Neji sits up and studies Shikamaru quietly for a second, knowing the other man could feel him looking and not really caring. "You know, I never thought we'd get along." He says finally and Shikamaru laughs. 

"I'm not as bad as you think, Hyuga." he says blowing out a cloud of smoke. "Our philosophies on life just differ." 

"I'm not sure, yours is looking pretty tempting right now. I've never actually napped before but I still feel horrible right now." 

"Still hungover?" Shikamaru asks and Neji shrugs; leaning his head back. Shikamaru studies him for a minute before crushing out his cigarette. "C'mon let's get you some food and I'll teach you the art of napping." 

Neji rolls his eyes but stands and follows him to the kitchen anyway. Oh how Shikamaru looks forward to corrupting the prodigy. 

..............................................

Naruto unlocks the door to his apartment, he was fairly sure Sasuke would be there. He was most nights, it was either here or an inn considering the Uchiha compound was destroyed by Nagato. Seems like forever ago even when he knows it wasn't. 

Sasuke wasn't in the living room but Naruto could feel his presence in the apartment. He places the book he brought home to look over on the counter before walking to the bedroom and quietly opening the door. 

He smiles at the sight of a black head of hair peeking out from under the blankets. Sasuke hadn't been sleeping well and had taken up residence in his bed most nights. Naruto didn't mind, he knows his friend has seen some things that he might not be ready to face yet and he's willing to wait until he is. Until then, he'll just appreciate Sasuke's presence in his home and try to etch sights like this into his memory. It's all he ever wanted, Sasuke is all he has ever wanted. 

Naruto stands in the open doorway for several minutes just watching the mountain of blankets rise and fall before changing into sweats and lying next to him. 

Sasuke's nose crinkles up and he immediately moves towards the new heat source in the bed. Naruto knows it's only for comfort, he doesn't mind. He'd do anything to make Sasuke happy. 

He watches his best friend's sleeping face for several minutes before the sounds of Sasuke's soft breathing lulls him to sleep as well. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm hoping everyone is liking this story so far. I'm really enjoying writing it now that I've picked back up and decided to finish it. SasuNaru is pretty intense in this story at the moment and honestly, When are they not?   
Anyway, Neji and Shikamaru are pretty fun so hopefully that lightens the mood just a bit.  
Thank you all so much for reading and as always, I don't own Naruto or anything from the series.

Sasuke wakes up when a beam of light shines in his eyes from the window. He squinted his eyes and shot a glare at the window, the crappy orange curtains are basically sheer when light hits them. 

His eyes soften when he notices the other presence in the bed next to him. He looks at Naruto who's hugging a pillow tightly to his chest, neither really talk about the fact that they share a bed at night. Neither mentioned that it wasn't something that normal best friends do, at least not every night. 

Sasuke lays down and runs his fingers through wavy blond hair, knowing that his best friend is a heavy sleeper and he likely won't have to explain why to a sleepy, confused, and cute Naruto. 

He allows himself a moment to study his friend, thanking whatever higher being that exists in the universe for photographic memory. Just for moments like this. 

He exhales quietly and crawls out of bed, he couldn't allow himself to stay in bed until Naruto wakes. It would ruin the illusion he's creating for himself. 

Even if his best friend is Bisexual, it doesn't mean that Sasuke deserves him. He knows for sure that he doesn't. 

He will not push anything onto Naruto, he's simply grateful to love him and have a place in his life. Even if he's scared of what will happen when the other does find someone, someone who shines brightly like he does. 

............................................

Shikamaru was on his second cup of coffee when he heard the shower turn on, indicating that his roommate was awake. He looks at the clock on the wall,  _ 9:30 huh? I figured he'd be up earlier.  _

A few minutes later, Neji emerges from the bathroom wearing his typical Hyuga attire and Shikamaru tilts his head to the side. "You're gonna keep wearing the robes after you were released from your duties?" 

Neji leans back against the counter, still brushing through his damp hair thoroughly. 

"You really think I own anything else? Besides my Jonin uniform, this is all I have." He replies shortly and Shikamaru can tell that he had already thought about it. 

"Well do you have anything going on today?" He asks as he takes another sip of his coffee and Neji shakes his head. 

"Well then, let's get you some new clothes." He says and if he was less observant he wouldn't have noticed the small twitch of Neji's lips as he says "Okay." 

.............................................

Naruto's eyes flutter open just as Sasuke is emerging from the bathroom, hair still wet from his shower and shirt not completely buttoned.  _ Fuck, this was easier when he wasn't grown up and didn't look like THAT.  _ He thinks as he bites the inside of his cheek and forces his eyes away to sit up. 

"Good morning, Sas.." He grumbles as his bare feet touch the cold wooden floor. 

"Good morning, Dobe." 

Naruto smiles at the nickname, it's been a long time since Sasuke called him that. He wonders why it used to upset him when he missed it so desperately when the Uchiha left the village. 

"How was your alone time with Neji?" He asks with a grin, he always thought the two would get along. 

"He's different than he used to be." 

"He is and I think I figured out why." He replies and suppresses a smile at Sasuke's raised eyebrow; knowing that he's really curious but won't show it. 

"I heard from TenTen that Neji was released from his duties as a branch family member, that's why he was able to move into Shikamaru's apartment." He explained and Sasuke's eyes widen, likely without his permission. 

"You're kidding.." Naruto grins and shakes his head. 

"Wow, that's.." Sasuke unable to find the words as he thinks back to the angry genin he met back during the chunin exams. He hadn't been there but he heard the rest of the village talking about what was said. At the time he didn't even know Neji but that story stuck with him. He studied the inner politics of the Hyuga clan while studying under Orochimaru. Completely out of curiosity and if he was honest with himself, he didn't blame the older ninja for being angry. 

"Amazing?" Naruto offers with a grin and Sasuke nods distractedly. 

Naruto's smile falters when he thinks of what Hinata would've thought of Neji being released. 

"Dobe?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine." He says quickly and rubs the back of his neck. Sasuke studies his best friend with his brows furrowed. "Where did you go just now?" 

"Uh.. Well.. Hinata confessed that she was in love with me during the pain invasion, right before she almost died trying to help." Naruto answers quietly.

.............................................

Sasuke felt his chest constrict at the answer but he knew that no one had ever told Naruto that they loved him before, even he hadn't. 

"What happened after?" He asks tentatively and sits next to his friend on the bed. Naruto rubs the back of his neck before letting his hand drop into his lap. 

"I panicked, I didn't know her well and I had no idea how to respond. So when it was all said and done.." He pauses and looks at his hands in his lap. "I just never said anything, I pretended it never happened." 

Sasuke has never been good with emotions, not his own and most certainly not other people's emotions but he knows that Naruto wouldn't show anything but his happy go lucky side to anyone else in the village. Sasuke wouldn't want him to go to someone else about this anyway, so he has to think of something.

"You aren't required to return romantic feelings. if I tried to return all the love that was given to me I'd be in a straight relationship when I'm not even attracted to women." He says, trying to lessen the guilt that he's sure Naruto is probably drowning in. 

Naruto looks at him with an emotion swirling in his blue eyes that Sasuke isn't able to identify. 

"Yeah.." Naruto says, his voice raspy with emotion. "You're right." 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to give you guys a bonus chapter for this update.  
No Angst, only some fun ShikaNeji bonding featuring an appearance by TenTen. 
> 
> Hope you guys like it
> 
> I still don't own Naruto, I still don't own any of it.   
A lot of things would have gone differently if I did.

"I am not wearing that! " Neji exclaims, already regretting invited TenTen to come along to find new clothes. "What even is that?" 

TenTen rolls her eyes and Shikamaru chuckles from his spot leaning against the store wall. 

"They are skinny jeans and they'd look great on you!" She cries and Shikamaru bites his cheek to suppress his laughter when Neji's eyes widened, he looks horrified. 

He can't hold back the laughter when she threatens his hair and he relents and jerks the jeans from her hands and storms into the dressing room, glaring at the laughing genius as he slams the door shut. 

TenTen looks smug as she turns to go through more clothes, Shikamaru shakes his head and looks at the floor. "He doesn't seem very happy with you."

TenTen flicks her hand as if to swat away the comment, "Nah, he's just grumpy because he has no fashion taste." 

"I CAN HEAR YOU!" 

"Put on your skinny jeans and stop eavesdropping" she calls back calmly and grins at Shikamaru, he breathes out a laugh and turns his attention to the door when he hears Neji's voice ring out from behind it. "TenTen please come here." 

TenTen grins and shakes her head, "Nah, you come out here. Shikamaru won't laugh. Will you?" 

Shikamaru bites the inside of his cheek, "Of course not, Hyuga."

"I'm gonna end both of you" Neji replies shortly. 

"Yeah yeah, come on out." 

"I don't have a shir.." He's interrupted by a black sweater hitting him in the face. "I hate you so much right now" 

"I know, just put it on cutie." She teases and it goes quiet for a second and Neji can be heard mumbling curses under his breath. The door finally opens and Neji steps out, his face is covered by his long hair but Shikamaru doesn't have to see it to know he's pouting. He chuckles a bit and casually looked him up and down. TenTen was absolutely right, they did look great on him. 

Shikamaru lets out a calming breath,  _ did his ass always look like that? Dear gods help me.  _

He doesn't even hear Neji and TenTen arguing until he hears his own name. He looks up towards TenTen, who is now smiling so big it was almost terrifyingly similar to Ino when she figures out some good gossip.  _ Troublesome..  _

"You don't think it looks too bad, Right Shika?" TenTen asks innocently.  _ Oh god.. _

Shikamaru attempts to summon his usual casual demeanor for his response but also sees the chance to make Neji blush and can't really pass that up, who knows when this opportunity will arise again. "I mean, yeah. I'd hit it." 

TenTen's face lights up and Neji looks completely and utterly mortified. He runs back into the dressing room, slamming the door shut behind him and Shikamaru burst out laughing.  _ Oh boy, that was so worth the trouble.  _

_ .............................................. _

After TenTen dragged Neji from his hiding spot in the dressing room, she made them continue on a find a few things. She picked out things for both of the men, even forcing Shikamaru to buy new jeans and some flannels. 

She's not so different from Ino but she at least doesn't dress him in weird shit for her own amusement like his blonde teammate, he decides he likes her and the flannels but he's not gonna say anything.  _ She's not dressing me up in weird shit because Neji's her doll right now.  _

TenTen already made them both go home and change before they went to get food. He looks over at Neji, he's still pouting from basically having to fight his best friend off. 

Eventually, the Hyuga had relented and put on the pair of black skinny jeans and sweater from earlier. Normally Shikamaru would tease him but he can't really hold focus on witty banter when Neji looks like THAT. 

TenTen is summoned to the Hokage's office in the middle of lunch and leaves the two alone. Both men let out a relieved breath and Neji buries his face in his arms. 

"It's really not that bad, Hyuga. You look good." Shikamaru says and Neji glares at him. 

"I want to fight you right now." He grumbles and buries his face back into his arms. 

"Hey now, don't be like that. I was just kidding earlier."  _ Not.  _

"Shut up." Neji says, not lifting his head and Shikamaru smiles. He never imagined the older man to be so easily embarrassed. 

"C'mon, I'll pay and we can head back to the apartment." He offers and Neji nods the best he could in the position he was in. 

He smiles and gets up to pay, he comes back to see the Hyuga still sitting. 

"Come on, Grumpy." 

Neji probably would have stuck out his tongue if he wasn't a Hyuga, he just settled with a glare and he gets out of his chair and stalks off. Shikamaru bites his lip, taking the chance to check out his ass before following him.  _ Troublesome Hyuga...  _


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I'm so late with an update, things have been really bad lately for me and my brain wants to work on hella angsty things so I only have a single chapter. I hope I can get out the next few chapters quickly. Thanks for sticking around.

Sasuke started noticing a change in Naruto’s behavior about four days before the Kazekage was scheduled to arrive in the village. He distanced himself slightly from the rest of his friends, he spent every moment of free time he had at home with Sasuke and he stopped trying to get the Uchiha to go out places. He spent a lot of time studying Hyuga clan politics, he couldn’t seem to fully understand it. Sasuke knew that even with his research on the Hyuga clan he wasn’t the right person to help and his friend was beginning to seem obsessed. 

A day before the Kazekage arrived the Uchiha set out to find Neji after he found Naruto passed out at the dining room table again when he took his friend’s jacket off of the arm of the couch and folded it into a makeshift pillow and placed it under his head the blond hadn’t moved at all. Although the village wasn’t technically unsafe anymore, it still made him nervous that Naruto hadn’t even stirred. He ignored the little voice in his head that whispered that Naruto didn’t stir because he doesn’t feel unsafe with him, he doesn’t deserve that kind of trust.

.................................

Neji was reading on the couch when he heard a knock on the door, he looked up and saw his roommate sleeping leaning on the other side of the couch. His lip twitched slightly as he closed his book and he went to answer the door. 

“Uchiha?” 

Sasuke was standing with his hands in his pockets, Naruto had basically forced him to take the replacement arm that was offered. The Uchiha gives a small wave, “Hey Hyuga,” he greets quietly “I need your help, it’s about Naruto.”

“Is he okay?” Neji asks stepping out of the apartment, closing the door quietly behind him. Sasuke looks up at him, his eyes showing worry for his friend.  _ Probably without his permission.  _ The older man bites the inside of his cheek.

“He’s refusing to leave his house, I mean.. Our house. He’s been studying Hyuga clan politics and he’s just..” Sasuke’s voice tapers off

“Why would he be..” Neji remembers Naruto’s promise years ago, that he would fix the Hyuga clan. “Because of me and Hinata..” 

Sasuke nods and Neji looks over his shoulder at the closed door. "Give me a second and we'll go." 

"Thanks.." 

Neji opens the door and glances back over his shoulder.  _ Did Sasuke Uchiha just thank me?  _

"Of course" he replies and slips on his sandals, locking and closing the door behind him. 

"Come on." 

................................

Shikamaru wakes up to the door closing behind Neji and stands tiredly, he watches his roommate walk down the stairs and into the street with Sasuke through the window and closes the curtain. 

He looks to the arm of the couch and sees the open book that the Hyuga was reading, another book that he recommended. His lips quirk at the corner. He wonders what Neji thinks of his favorite books. 

.................................

Sasuke leads Neji back to the apartment he shares with Naruto and points to the passed out blond sleeping at the table. Neji looks at the folded up jacket and back to Sasuke. 

"How long has he been like this?" Neji asks, and Sasuke just looks at him and walks into the kitchen to make coffee. Neji rolls his eyes and sits next to Naruto, lightly tapping his shoulder.  Naruto stirs and turns his head in his folded arms to look at him. 

"Neji?" 

"Hey, let me help you with this." Neji replies and gestures to the stacks of papers and scrolls. 

"Oh.. Okay." 

..................

Sasuke listens quietly while he absentmindedly makes Naruto's coffee the way he likes it. If it doesn't look like it's actually milk, it's not sweet enough; and tea for Neji.  His back is turned away from the two men at the table and he lets himself smile when he hears Naruto getting excited when he finally gets it. 

"So you're the first branch member to be released from your duties?" Naruto asks as Sasuke sits the beverages on the table. Sasuke sits on the counter, waving off their statements of gratitude, and watches the others quietly.

"As far as I know, I'm the only one who got so lucky," Neji answers sadly and looks back to the scroll. 

"If Naruto made the decision to fix the Hyuga Clan, it will get fixed." Sasuke says from his spot on the counter and Naruto smiles up at him._ If he can_ _ manage to save me, he can save your clan. _


	11. Chapter 11

Shikamaru is in his room when Choji comes in, he doesn't knock because he already has a key. "Shikamaru? Are you home?” 

Shikamaru pulls out his hairband and runs his fingers through his hair to calm the frizz he acquired while he was sleeping and steps out of his room. "Hey." 

“Oh good, is Neji not home?” Choji asks as he immediately begins rummaging through the fridge "Oh my gods! Where are the snacks?" 

The shadow wielder laughs and walks to the cabinets over the stove. "Neji left with Sasuke earlier and he also organized the kitchen, this is your cabinet." 

“Neji is out with Sasuke? When did they start hanging out?” Choji questions and Shikamaru just shrugs as he pulls out a bag of chips and tosses them to his hungry friend before going to the living room flopping back onto the couch. Shikamaru grabs his pack and pulls out a cigarette with his mouth, lighting it with Asuma's lighter. 

"How is Neji as a roommate?" Choji asks and Shikamaru's lip quirks a bit at the corner. "He's not bad." 

"How does he put up with you?" Shikamaru just smiles and puts the cigarette between his lips, inhaling the smoke into his lungs and exhaling slowly. Thinking back to a few days before as Neji was organizing his room. 

_ "You seriously own nothing but Non-Fiction books?" Shikamaru asks tapping the top of the stack, making an audible popping sound.  _

_ Neji rolls his eyes but doesn't look back at him.  _

_ "I don't read for fun, Nara."  _

_ "Maybe that's why you're always so grumpy, can't even enjoy yourself during free time." Shikamaru teases and the Hyuga glares over his shoulder. "Calm down, come with me.". _

_ The Nara exits the room, not even checking if Neji had followed. The older man watches Shikamaru for a moment, debating whether or not to follow but eventually deciding to follow him to a bookshelf in the living room. The younger man pulls a well-worn book off the shelf and gives it to Neji.  _

_ "It's full of urban legends from The Land Of Wind, most have been proven to be just myths but Temari gave it to me while I was visiting Suna." He says and Neji's lips quirked before forcing his mask of indifference.  _

_ "Okay I'll read it but only because I've read all of my own books," Neji says but the younger man sees his eyes light up just a little, Shikamaru gives a lopsided smile. "Whatever floats your boat, Neji."  _

Neji came back six hours later wanting to talk about the legends, showing about as much interest as a Hyuga would allow themselves to show but interested none the less. 

"Not sure," Shikamaru replies, exhaling a stream of smoke from his lips. "But he's less troublesome than I thought he would be." 

"Good." Choji stands to go to the cabinet grabbing a new bag of chips and throwing away the empty package of the chips he had just finished. "So…Temari will be in the village tomorrow. You planning anything?" 

The question stressed him out more than it should've. They've been dancing around it since they were kids and he knows that she likes him. His thoughts stray to Neji, as he tried to hide his excitement over the book he had loaned him. Dropping every hint that he wanted Shikamaru to recommend another but being too proud to ask. His lips twist into a small smile without his permission before he was startled out of his trance by Choji snapping his fingers near his face. 

"What?"

"I asked if you had anything planned for Temari," Choji asked, having gotten used to Shikamaru zoning out occasionally. His mind moves so fast, sometimes it's hard for him to keep up with conversations without falling into his mind for a period of time and Choji has witnessed this more than anyone. 

"No.. Not this time." Shikamaru finally answers and Choji opens his mouth but he hears voices outside the door.  _ Sasuke and Neji.. _

..............................

"I could've gotten home fine, Uchiha." Neji says, not sounding particularly annoyed. 

"I know but have you ever said 'No' to Naruto?" Sasuke answers, waving his replacement arm as if to swat off the statement. 

Neji puts his key into the door but stops and turns abruptly, startling the Uchiha slightly. 

"Sorry.. I just wanted to um.." Neji starts and Sasuke's eyebrows furrow, looking at him mildly confused. "You're really good to him, I know how you must see yourself and.." Neji clears his throat awkwardly and looks back into the door. "You do deserve him." 

"Thanks.." 

Neji just gives a tight nod and opens his apartment door. "Take care of yourself, Uchiha" 

Sasuke doesn't hear Neji whisper "and Naruto" as he enters his apartment but that's not something that he needs to be told. 

..................................

Neji enters the apartment and toes off his sandals, walking into the living room. Giving a tight nod to Choji. He doesn't miss the smirk that Shikamaru shoots him. He goes into the kitchen and starts pulling ingredients down from the fridge and he's leaning down when he hears Shikamaru behind him. 

"Where's Choji?" Neji asks and the shadow nin only shrugs and jumps up onto the counter. 

Neji decides that he really doesn’t need an answer and turns back to the task at hand. “I believe this is the first time I’ve seen you with your hair down” he casually states, not looking up. 

“Not many people have, you should feel privileged.” 

“Oh I do,” The Hyuga replies with a small smile. The younger man still gets a strange sense of pride when he sees Neji smile, he leans his head back against the cabinet. “So.. Sasuke Uchiha, huh?” 

Neji stands and closes the fridge, dropping the fresh vegetables onto the counter that hasn’t been sat on. “No, it’s not like that. You and I both know he only has eyes for Naruto.” 

“Yeah.” Neji gives him a quick smile and continues prepping the vegetables, he’s so focused on that task that he doesn’t notice Shikamaru watching him as he works, wondering if he could capture his attention as something more than a roommate because he’s certainly no Uchiha.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New update!   
Thanks for reading for this long and dealing with me getting moody and taking forever to update. As well as the kind comments. I adore you guys. Have this chapter of SasuNaru and ShikaNeji bonding :) I hope you guys like it. 
> 
> (I don't own Naruto or any of the characters.)  
I wouldn't mind owning Sasuke or Shikamaru though ngl

Sasuke gets back to the apartment quickly, he opens the door and toes off his shoes at the entrance. He rounds the corner to find Naruto in the kitchen, looking like he was struggling in front of the stove. "What are you doing?" 

Naruto looks at him over his shoulder with a sheepish grin and an awkward chuckle. "I uh.. I was trying to make you something to eat but I can't cook anything but Ramen.." 

Sasuke bites his fist to hold back a laugh,  _ he's so cute but so dumb. " _ Here, you idiot. Let me help you." 

Naruto grins brightly at him as he rushes to his side. "Pasta?" 

"I don't know how else to cook with tomatoes but I know they're your favorite." Naruto says, looking a bit flustered but Sasuke assumes that's from the steam coming from the noodles that are about to burn in the pot. He just needs to ignore the flutter in his stomach because the idiot still remembers that about him.

"How did you survive living on your own for this long?" He mutters and takes the pasta off of the burner, "why did you wanna cook for me anyway?" 

"You went and brought Neji to help me when I didn't even ask." The Uchiha stops what he's doing and glances at his friend. Naruto was giving him a look that screamed admiration and Sasuke just couldn't handle it. He pokes the jinchuriki's forehead, just as his brother did to him when he was young. He knows that Naruto doesn't know the meaning of that yet but it doesn't matter. That blond idiot is his family now. "Shut up, let me finish this." 

Naruto narrows his eyes in confusion, clearly confused as to how he's supposed to react. He apparently decides to go with sticking out his tongue like a child. 

………

Once Sasuke managed to save the pasta, they sat on the floor in the living room. 

"Sakura is acting pretty weird right now." Naruto says, swallowing a mouthful of seemingly nothing but cheese. 

"Weird how?" 

"I'm not sure, I figured she'd wanna be around you a lot more once you came home. I wonder what changed." 

Sasuke laughs and puts down his plate next to him. Pulling one leg up and hugging it to his chest. "I'd imagine it has something to do with the fact that I'm gay." 

Naruto's forehead creases in thought and he swallows the final bite of his food. "You really think she'd just disappear because you're gay?" 

Sasuke resists the urge to face palm, instead opting to look at the blond incredulously. "Of course she would, at least for a while. She fully expected for you to bring me home and for me to realize that I loved her the whole time." 

"Yeah, probably.." 

Sasuke chuckles at his friend's idiocy when it comes to romantic things. He'd almost feel bad for Hinata, if he hadn't loved Naruto for so long as well. A bond that he never could manage to break. 

"Didn't you love Sakura?" Sasuke asks and this time the blond laughs at him. "No thank you, I don't want to get beat up everytime I breathe funny."

"That's fair." Sasuke replies with a laugh and mild relief.  _ At least I won't have to watch him with her _ .

………

Neji and Shikamaru had decided on another game of Shoji after dinner, that quickly became a marathon because Neji just could not accept that he hasn't managed to beat his roommate a single time. "You damn Nara" he growls as he loses for the third time tonight and he throws himself back onto the floor. "I'm so mad, I hope you realize that I can still beat you in a fight." 

Shikamaru laughed and dug into the bowl of popcorn they had sat next to the board. "I'm well aware that you can kick my ass, Hyuga." 

He pushes the bowl gently to the older teen, Neji narrows his eyes at him and takes the bowl and puts it on his stomach. He huffs, grabs a handful, and stuffs it into his mouth. "How do you always beat me?" 

"This was how I spent time with my father, 

You have to be good to beat my father at Shoji. I only beat him a few times though." Shikamaru replies and reaches towards the bowl and Neji glares at him. "Okay, take the popcorn you grump." 

"I will." Neji says and stuffs another handful in his mouth. He sits up and combs his fingers through his long hair. "You know, it's kinda weird talking to you like this. Before I only really spoke to my cousins and my team." 

"Good or bad?" 

Neji gives another one of those cute smiles that Shikamaru has to look away from. He knows if he ever called him cute, he'd get his ass handed to him but as he sits there completely relaxed. His hair tangled and him laying around in a pair of black sweats.  _ He's adorable damn it. _

"I think it's very good, Nara."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise)

Neji's good mood seemed to crash later that night. Shikamaru noticed him staring blankly at the board and he stood, the other man didn't even notice the movement until Shikamaru crouched beside him. 

"Neji." 

The Hyuga startled slightly and looked over to him. "Hey." 

Shikamaru smiles sadly at him. "Hey, have I showed you the roof?" 

"The roof? Why would I need to see the roof?"

"Come on." 

……….....

Neji followed Shikamaru to the roof of their building, the sky was a bit cloudy and he could see the other man look up to the sky. Once he saw that there were clouds to view, he smiles slightly. 

He takes the Hyuga's hand and tugs him over to a small cot that's covered with a tarp. Shikamaru pulls off the cover, "look at the sky with me." 

Neji is mildly sceptical but he nods as Shikamaru pulls him down next to him. They lay there for a while quietly, the Hyuga's eyes transfixed on the stars while his mind wanders to Hinata. It always feels wrong to have a nice time when he knows that he's the reason she's dead. Being around Shikamaru is calming, it almost feels like he could be normal. "Do you think Kiba is okay?" 

"What?"

Neji is quiet for a second and turns to look at him. "I haven't seen him at all since the memorial, he loved her." 

Shikamaru studies the man in front of him for a moment, he clicks his tongue quietly and shakes his head. "I don't think he is, Shino told Choji that he hasn't been talking at all." 

"He's not speaking?" 

"I guess not." 

Neji frowns and turns his eyes back up to the sky. "I always wished she would pay attention to him, Kiba is… not necessarily sophisticated but he loved her. He loved her with everything in him and even I could see it. Not everyone gets loved that deeply." 

Shikamaru turns and smiles sadly, "no..they don't."

"Temari seems to care about you." Neji says, seemingly nonchalant. 

"I suppose so." 

"She'll be here tomorrow," Neji states, not sure why he'd brought it up. Shikamaru just nods, slightly uncomfortable with the thought. He's not really sure why, especially since he spent his adolescence crushing on her. He doesn't think it went as deep as everyone thought it did. 

He turns to face Neji, "I don't like the way you're talking right now, Hyuga." 

Pale eyes meet his, "What are you talking about?" 

"You're talking like you don't believe you'll ever have someone love you that much. That's bullshit." Shikamaru says and the Hyuga shrugs. "Just because I'm a Hyuga doesn't mean I'm really worth all that much." 

"Not everyone cares about your clan, your eyes and last name aren't the things that matter to the right people." Shikamaru presses his finger to Neji's bandage forehead where the cursed seal remains, even after he was released. "And this? This doesn't make you unworthy of anything." 

Neji's eyes widen slightly and he clears his throat, completely at a loss for words. 

"Thanks.." He whispers, he can't figure out what else to say. Shikamaru turns over on his back, he obviously didn't need an answer. "You just deserve to know that.

.............

Sasuke and Naruto lie in their bed, they have the money to buy a new one but not the room. Neither seem bothered or bring it up. Naruto is asleep, his lips parted slightly and the sound of quiet snores feeling the air. Sasuke is still wide awake. 

He turns to face the man he's loved since childhood. He wishes every single day that he could change the things he's done, to be worthy of being in this bed. He knows that this isn't the way it would look to others, there's no way. Blond hair tickles whiskered cheeks and his face scrunches up. Gaara deserves him, the way he speaks of the blond is as though he's pure sunlight and he is. He is the beam of light that makes this shitty and cold world seem livable. 

Sasuke worries that walking away and never seeing this sight again would break him. Not that he was ever whole in the first place… he might have to soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates have been slow and I apologize for that,  
I feel kinda guilty when I publish a one-shot while I'm late updating this but I'm struggling through losing someone I have loved since I was a teenager and at times writing angst is the only way I can really work through it. so I hope you guys can forgive my lack of focus on this story. The person who convinced me to start writing in the first place is gone and it feels so empty now.  
Everything does. 
> 
> Thanks for your time and understanding.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update again, I assume you guys are used to it by now. There isn't even a real schedule but anyway, I was working on another writing project that I finally managed to finish to work through some things.   
The next few chapters will be angsty but hey, it's a three chapter update. I love you guys, I hope you are enjoying this trainwreck of a story. 
> 
> (I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise.)

"Sasuke… Sasuke, it's morning!"

The Uchiha awoke to his best friend's voice and gentle shaking. He squinted his eyes at the brightness that's already entered the room. Naruto smiles happily at him and Sasuke looks away towards the window. "Shouldn't you be meeting Gaara at the gate?" 

Naruto bounces excitedly, his happy go lucky former self showing through for a single moment. "I wanted you to come too!" 

Sasuke looks confused for a moment, tilting his head to the side slightly before he nods. "Okay we can go in a minute, just let me get dressed." 

Naruto grins brightly at him and bounces off the bed to run into the kitchen. Closing the door behind him almost instinctively, it took at least a month for him to get used to Sasuke's presence in the house enough for privacy. Not that the raven was bothered by a lack of privacy with Naruto. They were ninja and just because things are peaceful right now and shinobi of their level haven't been needed as of late, that doesn't mean they should let themselves get too comfortable. They're lucky to even have a home. 

………...........................

When they reached the gates, Shikamaru was there as well as Kakashi. He had his Hokage gear on, his entire appearance looked professional.  _ Well... If you can look past the bored look in his eyes and the Icha Icha novel in his hand.  _ Shikamaru stood beside him with his hands in his pockets leaning beside the open gate on the stone wall. Sasuke noticed he looked unhappy but he wasn't sure why but he decided not to comment on it. It's none of his business anyway. Naruto looks like he's actually vibrating with excitement and everyone knows he is but he'll try to act normal until he can't restrain himself anymore. It's yet another change the Uchiha has noticed in his friend, part of him misses that rambunctious little boy he used to know. He wishes he would have appreciated that sunshine when he had it, maybe then he would never have ruined it. 

Naruto and Sasuke are both in Jonin uniforms similar to Shikamaru's and they stand quietly. Except for Naruto, of course. He won't shut up.

They notice four figures approaching. 

"GAARA! TEMARI! HEY GUYS!" Naruto exclaims, waving his hands wildly. He takes off running and jumps onto the Kazekage who surprisingly catches him easily. Sasuke eyebrows furrow slightly but he quickly replaces his mask, nodding towards the two guards. Looking towards Temari he notices the way she looks at Shikamaru, there's a way she smiles at him that he's seen on people looking at him. _Sexual_ _Attraction? _

Sasuke isn't really arrogant about his appearance, he's arrogant about his skills. However, he's not oblivious to the attention he's always received due to his looks.

"Where is Kankuro?" Naruto asks 

"He's standing in as the Kazekage while I'm away, he sends his regards" 

"So professional" the blond grumbles and pulls away. 

"Well, he is a Kage." Kakashi offers from behind his book. 

"Oh shut up pervert" 

The Hokage chuckles and puts his hand over his heart. "You hurt me Naruto, I thought we were bros" 

The blond laughs and Gaara moves forward to speak with the Hokage. Sasuke stands quietly, knowing that the redhead is going to have an opinion on his presence after everything that happened. He's waiting for the other shoe to drop and wonders if Gaara's opinion has enough hold on Naruto to make him leave the Uchiha behind. 

Temari waves to Gaara and the others before following Shikamaru into the village, presumably for some kind of date. Sasuke watches them go, his mind wandered to Neji.

There's a look in his eye around the Nara that makes him wonder how he'll react to Temari. He's not sure if it's deep but there's obviously something. He decides to attempt to ask him if he gets the chance.

..............................

Naruto is really looking forward to his two favorite people getting to know each other, in less… hostile circumstances. Gaara shakes Kakashi's hand after promising to visit the Hokage tower at his leisure before turning back to Naruto. The copy nin gives a lazy wave before taking off back to the tower; his nose buried in his book once again.

"Hey I don't know if you guys have ever met in peaceful circumstances so, Gaara meet Sasuke." 

The Uchiha resists the urge to flinch as Gaara holds out his hand, Sasuke looks at it for a moment but the Kazekage waits patiently for him to raise his hand to take his. They shake hands firmly. 

"I'm glad to see that look has left your eyes, Uchiha." Gaara states before pulling away, "Naruto is very special." 

Sasuke clears his throat and nods, "yeah he is."

Naruto blushes and looks away, he didn't know how to take that. "Let's go guys." 

"I'm gonna go back to the apartment, I'll meet back up with you guys later." 

The blond watches him leave with a slightly hurt and confused expression. Gaara seems to understand but he's not saying anything, leaving Naruto to wonder why he's not going to spend time with them.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise.)

Shikamaru and Temari walked to the BBQ joint that his team frequents. He opens the door for her and she enters, she is beautiful but it all seems so wrong to Shikamaru now. He wants to pretend he doesn't know exactly why but he knows the truth. 

Although he doesn't really know how and when it happened, he's caught feelings for his roommate. It could be the fact that Neji smiles more now, or maybe that he seems more human in the midst of his grief of Hinata. Maybe it's how funny he can be when he relaxes into a game of Shoji with him. 

They've been rooming for maybe a month now and it all just feels so right. He looks up at the blonde as she tells a story about her brother's and working together to run the village. She's great, just not Neji. 

Sasuke and Neji seemed to have gotten closer, they both have the fancy bloodlines and the looks, Shikamaru has the intelligence but that's about all. 

He nods along; answering when he's supposed to. He doesn't really want this anymore but doesn't know how to tell her that.

.................................

Sasuke gets to his door to find Neji standing there. "Do you wanna do something?"

He tilts his head to the side and watched the Hyuga, "is it because of him?"

Neji nods and Sasuke's eyes soften slightly, not really noticeable but the Hyuga knows how to read a mask. "Okay, let me change." 

..............................

The Hyuga isn't sure what pulled him here to talk with Sasuke, he just felt this surge of something he's never felt at the thought of being there when Shikamaru brings Temari home. He doesn't know the dynamics of Gaara and Naruto's relationship but he's sure that the Uchiha won't be thrilled to see it.

He just thought they could spend some time together so neither would have to suffer through it. Sasuke comes back out in civilian clothes, black jeans and a dark blue tee with the Uchiha crest on his back. He locks back up and turns back to Neji, "so did you choose what we'll do or we just going to wing it? "

The Hyuga shrugs, "wing it?"

"Alright," Sasuke replies and they take off walking towards wherever they'll end up.

"I haven't seen you in normal clothes before." The Hyuga prodigy points out after a few minutes. 

Sasuke chuckles quietly and shakes his head

"I never was in the position to dress normally."

"I suppose that's true." 

"You know, you're totally wearing skinny jeans too." 

"Yeah," Neji says defensively "and what of it?" 

Sasuke holds up his hands "Nothing, just an observation" 

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Neji asks awkwardly, still not used to this kind of thing.

"I mean, it seems like you already know. I love that idiot but Gaara deserves him more than I do." 

The Hyuga bites his lip, he doesn't know if Gaara has feelings for Naruto and the blond is kind of touchy with everyone so it's hard to tell if he feels anything for the Kazekage other than friendship. "I wish I knew more about the whole thing to cheer you up." 

"Why would it really matter anyway?" Sasuke asks and Neji would be offended if he didn't know the heaviness behind the words. He's not being an asshole, he just doesn't know. 

"We're friends, aren't we?" 

Sasuke opens his mouth to speak but quickly closes it. Obviously calculating a response, he figured it out pretty quickly. "We're too sober for this day, I know where Kakashi hides his Sake" 

"Excellent."

…………

They used their ninja skills to smuggle a mostly full bottle of sake from the Hokage's office, it could be Kakashi's or leftover from Tsunade but neither of the young men really cared. It's gonna do the job. 

They saw Naruto with Gaara having lunch at 

Ichiraku Ramen and took to the roofs to get through town unnoticed, smuggling the bottle and laughing at the entire situation. Like normal teenagers and not war machines. 

They took their seats under a shady tree in an unused training field that hadn't been rebuilt yet. They didn't think to get glasses so they decided to drink straight from the bottle like barbarians. At least that's the word Neji had used for it. 

Halfway through the bottle, Neji was grumbling about idiotic men and stupid emotions. Sasuke is laughing and nodding with his leaning against the rough bark of the tree. Both loose and relaxed like they weren't prodigies of uptight and sophisticated clans. 

One clan is dead and one clan is broken,

you wouldn't know that if you can see them now. 

There's just a bit left in the bottle when the conversation got heavy, both men were always praised for their skills and praised more for their looks. Somehow they both felt they were nothing. It's afternoon now, the air is still slightly warm or is it just the alcohol? The weight of the day, of the conversation, and the sake got too much to bear. Neji is in the middle of a sentence when Sasuke puts his hand in his hair and pulls their lips together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think this is the sexual tension ya'll expected me to handle but take it anyway.  
Angsty smut next chapter!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it, folks.  
This is some drunk sad boi sex, this is a depressed unhealthy coping mechanism kind sex, this is some boyxboy angsty smut. if that isn't your thing I'm not sure why you're reading this but this chapter won't be your thing. It's not detailed and it's just very angsty. There is some plot this chapter though. 
> 
> (I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise.)

Neji would have felt surprised and maybe he was but his body responded to the kiss without him even needing to think. Sasuke's hand gripped his hair and he didn't know why but it was fucking great. 

"Neji..?" 

"Shut up," the brunette says climbing over the younger man to straddle his lap. 

"Okay" 

They kissed, it was sloppy and obviously neither of the men knew what they were doing but when Sasuke's lips attached themselves to his neck right behind his ear Neji melted.  An embarrassing choked up moan left him and the younger man seemed to like it. In a less intoxicated state Neji might have stopped it, he wouldn't have wanted to have his first time in a field with a man who looks at him, pretending he's someone else. The only comfort he has is knowing that Sasuke is feeling the same way right now. Raven hair tickled his chin and the Uchiha unbuttons his shirt and presses his lips to his collarbone, it's okay this feels good. Not right, but it feels good. 

Sasuke finishes buttoning the older man's shirt and lays him back, "yeah?" 

This is him asking permission, they aren't lovers. They are only two men needing a distraction.  _ This is an excellent distraction. _

The pale-eyed man nods and Sasuke leans back down to kiss him again. Just like this, clothes were removed leaving them completely exposed in the training field, if anyone came up they'd find the two in an extremely uncompromising position but neither cared. Sasuke prepped him the best he could only using his saliva as lube.  _ Wasn't really expecting this.  _

"Are you ready?"

"Do it." 

Sasuke puts Neji's legs over his shoulder and slowly pushes in.  _ It's tight.  _ Pale eyes squeezed shut at the intrusion but he doesn't make a sound, that is until Sasuke pulls back out and pushes back in. 

"Ah-fuck…oh-shit!" Neji knows he's sounding ridiculous but he's finding it difficult to care with the lone Uchiha is above him looking like sex personified. He knows that he and Sasuke are not lovers and that this changes nothing but fuck, people don't worship his looks without reason. 

"Fuck N-Neji.," Sasuke grits out as he slams back in. There's nothing romantic about this, they both know it. He knows that Sasuke wanted to say another name and he's okay with that. He's sad, the sake mixed with pleasure is distracting him from the fact that he feels something for a man that isn't going to be his. Sasuke is pounding into him and Neji's moans are filling the clearing. The Uchiha leans down making the brunette's legs bend back, he kisses Neji's shoulder and squeezes his eyes shut and he could've sworn he heard Sasuke say thank you. He buried his hair into the soft raven locks and closed his eyes. They gave themselves over to the pleasure, letting each other pretend until they reached their climax. It's okay, they aren't lovers. They're just two sad men looking for a distraction. What an excellent distraction.

..............................

A few hours later Sasuke comes home dishevelled and disoriented. Now falling somewhere between drunk and sober but not quite either. He saw Gaara on the couch. "He put you on the couch?" 

Gaara's eyes soften and he shakes his head, 

"We're really not like that, I think you'd notice if you would have stayed." 

"Shh.." 

"He's not here, he was looking for you." Gaara says, his face devoid of emotion. Sasuke flinches slightly, waiting for what he knows is to come. " _ You don't deserve him, you don't even deserve to be sad he's gone."  _

It doesn't come. The redhead just stands and pulls the raven's arm over his shoulder and leads him to the couch. He doesn't even flinch when Sasuke begins to cry. He knows what it's like, he wouldn't admit it out loud though.

………..

Neji is passed out on the couch when Shikamaru gets back in, his hair is messed up, his clothes have leaves on them and his shoes are kicked off haphazardly. Shikamaru's eyebrows furrowed at his roommate's state, he had never seen him in this state and he was confused. He crouches next to the couch and moves a strand away from Neji's face?  _ He smells like Sake, why was he drinking? _

He shakes his head and pushes his arms under Neji, lifting him up. He needs to ask him tomorrow why he was drinking so much in the first place but for now, he needs to sleep in an actual bed. He pretended not to notice the faint bruises on the older man's collarbone. He didn't wanna know.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers, I wanted to apologize for taking so long to update. Before the pandemic, I had to be hospitalized because I was in the 2nd psychosis and I was a hazard to myself. I suffer from several mental illnesses and conversion disorder. I lost someone I loved, someone I loved more than myself, more than my life, more than anything. what does this have to do anything? He convinced me to write this fic. he actually convinced me to write in general, a lot of this was read over by him and I'm slowly trying to become okay with that being gone. Until I can be, I have to step away from this particular fic. it's not abandoned, only on hiatus. 
> 
> I'm so sorry, writing means the world to me and I'm still going to be publishing other stories for a bit as I work through this. Thank you so much for understanding and I hope EVERYONE is okay and healthy during this pandemic. Stay safe and stay home if at all possible.
> 
> (I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise)

_ "Where were you?" He asks, sitting on the floor beside the couch, facing the man before him. Sasuke is caught between awake and asleep, not quite sober but not quite drunk. He mumbles a bit under his breath, all Gaara manages to catch is "I fucked up, I fucked him"  _

Gaara tries to run through his conversations with Naruto throughout the day, to who would be close enough to Sasuke to do such a thing with and from what he could tell, no one but Naruto is that close. He schools his expression as Naruto enters the apartment, though his eyes immediately landed on the Uchiha.  _ His gaze is always searching for Sasuke, I have always wanted to be here but he'll always look right through me. _

"Sasuke!" Naruto's voice sounds gravelly like he had been screaming all night. He likely had, the raven had been missing for most of the day. 

Sasuke's eyes flutter open, the dark irises nearly blending with the dark room. "Where were you? I was fucking worried all night?" 

"Naruto?"

The jinchuriki lets out a huff and flops onto the floor, "has he been drinking?" 

This question is for Gaara. "It seems so." 

Sasuke had already started to doze off again so Naruto takes a deep breath and stands. 

"I'm gonna carry him to the bed, I'll talk to you in the morning, Gaa." 

"No problem" 

"Night."

"Goodnight." 

………….

Naruto lie back in their bed, he decided to just let Sasuke keep his jeans on for the night, he looked over to the sleeping nin. He seemed passed out enough, the blond turns the lamp beside his small bed on and grabs the textbook for his assigned reading.

He wants to focus on it but something seems off with the way Sasuke acted before.  _ Then he comes home drunk, has he been crying? Sasuke doesn't cry, not a lot at least. What could hurt him enough to cry?  _ He gives up on the reading.

He spends twenty minutes trying to think it over, he places his fingers on Sasuke's wrist. Feeling his pulse, counting each heartbeat. 

“I know your heart and you, mine.” he whispers, "is that really true, Sasuke?"

He finally manages to fall asleep but with his fingers still on Sasuke's wrist, still counting his heartbeats.

………….

Neji wakes up groggy and confused. He looks around his room and wonders how he got there and why his body hurts so much.  _ I was hanging out with Sasuke, we stole some sake and…  _ he looks down at his dirty shirt and pulls it off over his head. That's when he sees the bruises. "Oh fuck" 

He finds himself feeling glad that Shikamaru is such a heavy sleeper, he jumps out of bed. He still feels unsteady, he uses his dresser to hold himself steady. He uses his available hand to quietly open his dresser to get out clean clothes. 

He moves as quietly as possible to the shower, once he gets under the stream, he scrubs and scrubs but he still feels dirty. 

He scrubs at the bruises, he knows they won't disappear. He's never had a hickey but he's suffered from many bruises in his time as a shinobi and never could he scrub them off but he tries, he tries to remove what he did. He doesn't know why he feels guilty, Shikamaru might not even care but Naruto… he will. 

He flinches inwardly and turns off the water and steps out onto the mat. He stops in front of the fogged up mirror above their sink, 

he wipes the surface of the mirror without a thought of streaking the glass like normal. He can still see the bruises and his skin is red from the rag he used to scrub. He still feels as dirty as ever. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, Y'all! I'm back with two chapters.  
I hope you like them!  
(I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise.)

After laying out painkillers and water for Neji, Shikamaru decided to go into work early. He decided that he wasn't interested in any answers he'd get if he spoke to his roommate. 

So here he is, sitting at his desk and it's five in the morning. Not only is he still really wishing that he knew the answers but he's fucking exhausted. He rests his chin on the palm of his hand as he reads over the paperwork. He's here but the Hokage isn't, this feels like bullshit. He hears voices outside, Kakashi, and what sounds like Sakura. He's not trying to listen but Sakura is loud. 

"Where did Naruto say he was?" Kakashi asks and the doorknob turns slightly and Shikamaru stands and slips out the window. 

"He didn't say, I don't think he knows but I think Gaara has a vague idea. All Naruto knows is he came back drunk and dirty." 

There was quiet murmuring and he heard the office door close, signaling that they had entered the office. Shikamaru found himself masking his chakra for just a moment, though he knew that they weren't going to care. 

"So you're telling me.. that he found Sasuke crying?" 

There was quiet. She must have answered with a nod because Kakashi sighed and the door closed again.  _ Hm, I guess it was the Uchiha.  _

He sits on the roof and lights his cigarette, he had considered quitting but he guesses that idea can get fucked. 

Kakashi climbs out the window and sits down beside him. "I thought I felt you out here." 

Shikamaru holds out the pack for Kakashi to take one. Kakashi chuckles and pulls out a cig and puts it between his lips. "You're not gonna help me quit." 

Shikamaru doesn't respond, opting to just smoke his cigarette and look out to the town. 

"Shikamaru, are you okay?" 

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" 

Kakashi watches Shikamaru for a moment before sighing. "No reason, I suppose. What needs to be done today?" 

…………

Naruto woke the next morning to an empty bed, Sasuke must have gotten up already. 

A loud crashing sound echos through the room from the kitchen, the blond rubs his hand over his face and climbs out of bed.

"I guess it's time to figure out what's going on.." He sighs quietly to himself. 

………….

Every dish in the cabinet decides to fucking fall out when Sasuke tried to reach for the pain killers. This wakes up Gaara who was sleeping on the couch, but unlike Naruto, Gaara is fairly used to not sleeping a lot so he doesn't get grumpy.

However, Naruto is not the first person Sasuke wants to see right now and he was hoping to get a chance to talk to Neji before this all blows up.

So before the blond could get out of bed, Sasuke left quietly after asking Gaara to cover for him. His teal eyes looking saddened but he nods respectfully and says "go".

The Uchiha leaped onto the roof and started moving towards the Hokage tower. He gets closer to the tower to feel if Shikamaru is working; it's not as easy of a task because of his small chakra reserves but he feels him faintly as well as Kakashi sensei. 

Once he has clarified that Neji would be home alone, he takes off to his apartment. Hoping they can figure out what to do about the mess they made. 

……….

"Hyuga?" There's tapping on Neji's bedroom window, "Neji, I need to talk to you?" 

Neji stands up from his spot on the floor, he thought that he could meditate this all away.  _ Of course not.  _

He opens his window to see the Uchiha in civilian clothes and slightly damp hair, Sasuke climbs in through the window. 

"Shikamaru isn't here," 

Sasuke sighs and runs his fingers through his hair, not making eye contact. "I know, I checked before coming." 

Neji nods and sits at the foot of his bed. 

"So uh-" Sasuke clears his throat, "We aren't gonna tell them? Are we?" 

"Of course not," Neji says, a nervous feeling coils in his stomach. "It was a mistake." 

"Yeah, it was a mistake." 

"It wasn't horrible though.."

Pale eyes flicker up and pale cheeks flush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if y'all are picking up on these vibes but just in case you haven't.  
The next chapter is gonna get messier, I know how y'all like it messy.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of you fellas commented that you wanted it to get MESSIER, so I decided to make it messier for our boys.  
Sasuke/Neji, BoyxBoy smut this chapter. Not too detailed though. :)

Sasuke came here, to clarify and fix his mess. He didn't come here to do it again, so why is he feeling the urge to throw Neji back on that bed and fuck him again? 

He doesn't like Neji, at least not like that but with his hair tangled and the blush on his cheeks. He wants to do it again, he can't do it but… what would really happen if he does? 

"No, it wasn't horrible." Neji looks him up and down quickly before getting up off of the bed. 

"I won't say anything if you don't." 

Sasuke bites the inside of his cheek, "yeah, we have a deal." 

"Good." 

The Uchiha is halfway out the window when Neji stops him. "If no one is going to know, what does one more time hurt?" 

"Fair point." Sasuke jumps back into the window and quickly brings their lips together.  _ Neji's right, one more time won't hurt. _

The Uchiha pushes Neji back until he falls back onto the mattress and climbs on top. Sasuke straddles him, his arms holding him up on either side of the Hyuga's head. 

…………..

_ I must be having some sort of crisis.  _

Sasuke leans down and presses his lips to Neji's neck. He has to resist the urge to let his eyes flutter closed when the raven softly grazed his teeth across his skin before biting down. He sighs. 

His hands are moving before he can think more into it, flicking the button of the dark skinny jeans that Sasuke shouldn't have worn today. 

Sasuke sits up and finishes unzipping them, he pushes them down to the middle of his thighs. "Neji.." 

"Get up." 

The Uchiha climbs off the bed and Neji rolls over and crawls over to him. "Do you kn-" 

"Ah..well.. Not really" 

Neji takes a deep breath and takes the head in his mouth.

…………

**45 mins later**

"FUCK FUCK FUCK" 

Sasuke slams into Neji over and over, the older man in his lap. His hand snakes up Neji's back and grips the back of his hair; he tightens his grip and pulls his head back to reveal his neck. Neji groans; and the sound only makes Sasuke want to pound harder. 

Neji screams and his nails dig into his back. "Fucking-- FUCK! Keep going!" 

Sasuke, always a quick learner, found Neji's prostate quickly and has been relentlessly hitting it since, Neji is losing his fucking mind. 

Sasuke hits his prostate a couple more times before Neji sees white, the Uchiha's climax coming soon after. 

The Uchiha helps the older man before standing to throw away the condom they had to steal from Shikamaru's room. They'll need to replace a few. 

He walks back over and flops back on the bed tiredly, he looks over at Neji. "That was good." 

"Really good" Neji sighs, looking over to the raven as he tries to catch his breath. 

"Our little secret?" 

The Hyuga lets out a breathy laugh and holds out his pinky. "Promise." 

Sasuke wraps his pinky around his and stands. "I need to get back to Naruto." 

"You damn right you do, get outta here!" 

Sasuke dodges the pillow that Neji throws at him as he quickly redresses himself. 

"Good luck!" 

"You too, Nej." Sasuke smiles and jumps out the window. Setting off to his apartment.  _ This is gonna be hard to hide from Naruto. I should get him some ramen. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So our boys are bros with benefits, will they be able to keep that from Naruto?  
Will they be able to keep it from Shikamaru?


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I updated just yesterday but I already wrote more. Hope you like it. 
> 
> FLUFF FLUFF FLUFF   
THIS CHAPTER! 
> 
> (I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise)

Naruto’s fears were alleviated a bit when Sasuke came home with five bowls of ramen, Gaara and Sasuke got one each and the other three bowls of pure joy went to him. Sasuke and Gaara got into deep conversation after dinner about something that was of no interest to him but he still found himself feeling more at peace. 

He studied Sasuke as he spoke, as he always does and he seems more relaxed today. He still makes a mental note to ask him what was wrong later; he just doesn’t wanna make him feel bad again. 

Gaara has to meet up with the Hokage for drinks, after dinner, and Naruto thinks that surely Kakashi knows that Gaara isn’t a drinker. Sasuke smiles at him and he feels at peace. 

“Did I get you the right order?” Sasuke asks, scurrying around the kitchen. He washes the take out containers and puts them away. Naruto hops up on the counter beside the sink. 

“You did, I’m a simple man. ” he replies with a grin and rubs his stomach.

“You’re not simple.” 

“What do ya mean?” 

“Your ramen order may be simple but you’re not a simple guy.” Sasuke turns off the water and wipes his hands on the towel next to the sink. Naruto wants to ask what that’s supposed to me but he knows that he won’t get an answer. “Hey Sasuke?” 

“Yes?” 

“I’m really happy you’re back. I know that you only stuck around for me but I just--” 

Sasuke stops what he’s doing and stares at him, Naruto’s voice trails off. The raven clears his throat nervously, “Look Naruto, after the things I’ve done there won’t be another place for me. I-- 

Well, I’d rather stay with the only person that matters in a shithole of an apartment in a shitty village than go off and have to be separated from you again.”

“I--”

Sasuke turns his back to open the fridge, “You don’t have to say anything.”

Naruto jumps down off the counter and hugs Sasuke from behind; the raven flinches but closes the fridge door. “Hug me back you asshole.” 

Sasuke laughs and turns in Naruto’s arms; returning the hug. 

……………………………….....

Shikamaru notices the lights on the roof, so he just goes up there instead of going inside to change. He finds that Neji is laying on the hammock, looking fairly zoned out into the sky. “Hey Nej, could you spare half of the hammock?” 

"Oh hey, yeah I can." Neji awkwardly scoots as much as he can. Shikamaru lays down beside him. 

"Are you okay?" He asks when he lays down, "you really had me worried last night." 

He feels Neji flinch at that, he pretends he doesn't notice. "Yeah I just.. had a weird day." 

"Seems like it." 

Pale eyes turn to face him; they watch him for just a moment too long. He thinks that this should mean something. Even with the fading bruises on his collar bones, Shikamaru still wants the way Neji's perfect eyes watch him to mean something.

He can't resist the urge to turn to look at them. They stare for just a beat too long; 

this happens all the time. Neji's face is only two inches from his but it doesn't really matter. "Shikamaru, can I ask you something? 

"Sure Nej, ask away." 

"What was your father like?" 

"Ahh well.." Shikamaru sighs and adjusts to rest his head on this hand. "He was a lot like me, chronically bored, high IQ, fairly lazy. He loved my mom, shoji, the deer, and me. He knew your father, I think he still missed him from time to time." 

"That's a long time to miss someone." 

"Well yeah, I don't think that grief ever goes away. The load just gets less heavy over time." 

"I miss Hinata" Neji yawns, and Shikamaru holds back a smile. He had never seen the other man yawn; he's so much more human than he could have imagined. 

"I know you do, I can see it even if you aren't easy to read." 

"I don't like being read." 

"Oh but you know I love to read, Nej." 

The Hyuga prodigy laughs again, and just like the first night that they really talked. He wants to make him laugh, over and over. He's beautiful. 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise)

Going home after spending time with Naruto is always weird for Gaara. He finds a sense of belonging there despite the fact that he has a family and a village that loves him now, he can't find at home. 

It's not like when he was a kid, when he had a demon inside of him and the urge to kill but he still feels like an outsider. He never escaped the mindset even now that he's Kazekage and not alone. 

He realized that Naruto Uzumaki had never left that mindset either. He laughs with Sakura, goofs off with Kiba, eats ramen with Iruka, and he has so much love for everyone he meets but his sense of belonging is wrapped completely in the Uchiha. 

He has so much love in his heart and so much love being handed to him because he's impossible not to love. He accepts this love and he'll give it back even bigger but he will never love anyone the same way as he loves Sasuke. 

Gaara shakes Sasuke's hand with this thought in his head,  _ he loves you with all of his being. He only feels belonging with you and the only place I feel that I belong is with him. It hurts. _

Sasuke's face is emotionless as always but he looks so distressed to Gaara. I suppose he's an expert at reading a mask. 

"There's something you should know." Gaara states, leaning closer so Naruto wouldn't hear from his place beside Temari. 

"What's that?" 

"Your feelings are returned by Naruto." 

Sasuke's eyes widen and Gaara turns away quickly before he's able to get a response. "Let's go Temari." 

"Okay.." He sees his sister look back to the village with a disappointed expression before she runs and falls into step with him.  _ Guess we both lost our chance. _

_ .. _ ……...

Sasuke stands in shock watching their retreating backs and Naruto stands by him waving frantically at his friends. 

Kakashi smirks, having seen the interaction with Gaara. He's just relieved that he hadn't had to be the one who told him. "Welp, I'm heading back to the office. I have work to do." 

"Reading porn isn't work" 

Kakashi only grins behind his mask, things are gonna change. Finally!

………… 

"Naruto." 

Naruto feels chills at the way Sasuke spoke his name, he turns to face him and dark eyes were locked on his and he had no clue how to react. "Uh.. Yeah? What is it?" 

Sasuke storms forward, the blond has absolutely no chance of processing events before his best friend has his bandaged hand in his hair and smashes their lips together. 

His lips are soft, of course they're fucking soft. Naruto doesn't pull away or even attempt to take back dominance of the situation. He just allows Sasuke's tongue into his mouth and melts.  _ Shameful, I can't stop. We're in front of the gate..WE'RE IN FRONT OF THE GATE. _

The blond pulls back, "What was that?" 

"Do you love me?" 

"I- of course I love you, you fucking doofus." Sasuke laughs. Not a chuckle or his trademark smirk. He laughs and pulls Naruto in and hugs him. He's thinking that his best friend had never initiated a hug before but when Sasuke's shoulders begin shaking, he hugs back tightly. "Of course I love you." 

He can feel Sasuke murmuring into his neck, "I love you, don't go. Please just stay.. don't go."

"I won't." He whispers, his vision is becoming blurry with tears. "Let's go home." 

  
  
  
  



	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all! I'm really sorry it's been such a long time. Tbh, writing is so weird because I love it so much but it's hard as FUCK to do most of the time. So here's two new chapters and I let the characters control what happens soooo... Angst happened. 
> 
> Triggers: Descriptions of Dissociation
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything from the franchise. I write this for fun!

Neji took a fairly long shower the morning after his run-in with Sasuke. Both were smart enough to not leave any more marks. Neji isn’t sure that Shikamaru really cares, but he decided that he should confess, regardless. He isn’t sure when it turned from attraction to a genuine feeling of.. Whatever this feeling is. It was just like one moment; he was just his attractive roommate, his attractive friend. Next he felt so hurt at the prospect of him being with Temari.  _ And Sasuke.. That really wasn’t the same. _

He’s finally pulled out of his daze by the sudden shock of warm water suddenly turning cold. A scream escapes him as he quickly shuts off the water; he sighs, grabbing the towels he needed to use from the counter, and wrapping up. While he’s dressing he continues thinking about how he should go about talking to Shikamaru. A wave of sadness washes over him as he thinks about what Hinata would have said. She was who he’d have asked if she was alive. He wonders what she’d think about the situation he got himself into, she’d have been so happy with Neji being released from his duties. If it had gone the way he wanted it to, Hinata would be alive, and he’d have never known Shikamaru Nara in the way he does now. He would have been released from his cage, anyway. It’s still not clear if he should be able to feel the way he does when he knows that it should have been her who came home. 

He falls into the loop he goes into sometimes. The spiral he falls down when he can’t understand if it’s okay to fall in love, to find peace, to live when he knows that he should not even be here. She deserved the chance to get her answer, get her heart broken by her first love and finally move along. She deserved to look at Kiba and finally realize what was there the whole time. To see the love she missed because her eyes were focused so intently on Naruto’s. To accomplish everything she had ever dreamed of accomplishing, to experience life in a peaceful world. Neji wraps his arms around his body, to cover from the sudden chill that washes over him, and falls to the floor. He sits, so unaware of everything outside, falling into himself. He sits, he fights, and tries to keep his head above the water. He can’t let himself drown. 

There’s a knock, or what he thinks is a knock, it sounds so far away that he can’t be sure.  _ “Hyuga, you okay in there?” _

_ “Neji? Neji, come on, you need to respond! Fuck!”  _ There’s a sound that sounds so far away, he assumes it’s the door being opened but he can’t pull out of himself to do anything. There are two warm arms around him and then it all goes blank.

:::

Shikamaru pours Neji’s coffee when he hears the shower turn off and sits on the couch with his own. In his own head, as he typically is; but this differs from usual. This puzzle can’t seem to be solved with logic. These feelings he’s feeling, the thoughts; they have plagued him with since the moment he saw those marks on Neji. He can’t read the Hyuga, he never could fucking read him, and he knows that this is probably what makes him so... intriguing. Even Sasuke, as stoic as he is, lets his mask crack occasionally. Showing his traumas, his flaws, and his intentions. He proves how human he is, with Naruto, grief for his family, his anger, and even in the way he speaks of Kakashi. He may be stoic, but he is a code that Shikamaru can crack. Neji barely allows himself to seem human, he has become easier to read but not in any of the ways that really matter.  _ It couldn’t have been Temari, she’s so beautiful, so intelligent, but she’s just.. too easy to crack. I want him.. _

As if an internal alarm goes off, Shikamaru suddenly looks toward the bathroom with a strange feeling in his chest. Neji has been in there for a really long time, and now that he’s thinking about it, the Hyuga rarely showers for this long. He cares enough about how he’s perceived to take a bit of time getting ready but doesn’t need to spend over an hour in the bathroom for, Shikamaru looks up at the clock on the kitchen wall, an hour and a half. He glanced at the coffee. He poured their coffee when he heard the shower turn off but it is cold now. It’s probably been at least 40 minutes since the shower had turned off. It feels as if it has been minutes.  _ When did so much time pass?  _

He places his mug on the coffee table in front of the couch and stands. He approaches the bathroom door; he takes a deep breath before knocking gently. “Hyuga, you okay in there?”

There isn’t a response, so he knocks again.

“Neji?” and again. 

_ “ _ Neji, come on, you need to respond.” and again. 

_ “ _ Fuck!” He busts down the door, finding Neji on the floor with his eyes fixated but completely unfocused on the shower wall. He crouches and wraps his arms around him, pulling him into his chest. “What the fuck is going on?” 

_ Neji doesn’t respond. _

_ :: _

Sasuke feels like he's lying in the clouds, with his lips still tingling from the first purposeful kiss with Naruto. He's realizing he wishes Naruto's apartment, _ their apartment,  _ was closer to the gates. Naruto tugs on his vest, "would you like to take to the roofs?"

"Yeah, I think we could do that. Does Kaka-" Sasuke is interrupted by a blur out of the corner of his eye on the roofs. The blond follows his eyes when he looks up to the roofs to watch. "What is that?" 

Sasuke shakes his head and activates his sharingan. With more clear vision, he picks up that it's Shikamaru jumping from roof to roof with Neji who seems okay but just.. Out of it. 

"It's Shikamaru and Neji, something seems to be up with Neji. I assume they're going to Tsunade," he deactivates his sharingan and glances over. "I get that we were heading home but could you--?" 

Naruto nods "go get his team?" 

Sasuke nods; the blond, already taking to the roofs, replies "Of course, Sasuke."

The Uchiha reactivates his Sharingan and takes off in the direction that his friends went. 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or anything from the franchise. I write these for fun.

Instead of going to the hospital, Shikamaru went to Tsunade immediately, and she lectured him for doing so but still left the room to get her things to check. Neji came out of his daze not too long after, uncharacteristic confusion showing on his face. “I was just in the bathroom..”

“Yeah.. well, I heard the shower turn off, and I was waiting for you to get out of the bathroom“ Shikamaru ran his fingers through his hair that’s still down. He had forgotten to put it up in his panic. “You were in there for close to an hour and then another 40 minutes after the shower had turned off. I tried knocking, but you didn’t-”

‘I think I heard the knock.. Maybe..” Neji says, cutting the Nara off. 

“And you couldn’t respond?”

Neji shakes his head, “I’m not really sure how to describe it, like I was there and kind of aware but- I wasn’t. I heard you but you sounded like you were far away and I just didn’t feel present to say anything. I was somewhere else.” 

Shikamaru furrows his brows, trying to find an explanation in his head, but this isn’t physical.. Whatever it is. Tsunade re-enters the room with a scroll in hand and a worried-looking Uchiha follows behind her. “Sasuke, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with Naruto?” 

“I was, Naruto is finding your team to come check on you.” Sasuke points awkwardly at his eye with his replaced arm. His movements are still less graceful with that hand. “I saw you guys and I got-” 

“Worried?” Neji smirks, and Shikamaru looks back and forth between the two. Studying their interactions, wondering how he never noticed that they had gotten closer.

“Yes. It worried me. Fuck around and maybe I won’t be so worried anymore.”

“Aww, how precious!” Neji says; his voice dripping with sarcasm, but his face seems relieved. The Nara pulls his sleeves over his hands.  _ I’m not an Uchiha. I’m just me. _

::

“It seems you were just disconnected from your surroundings. What were you thinking about when you disconnected?” Tsunade asks, looking up from her notebook. 

“Well, Shikamaru.. and then it turned to Hinata.” Tsunade nods, “Well, I’m not really sure what else we could connect but I believe it dissociated you. Often certain traumas can cause either a mild emotional detachment to complete disconnect from your environment and likely your emotions.”

Neji ignores Shikamaru watching him, wishing he didn't have such a visual range. "Is that a serious problem?"

"It could be, it could also not be. We're gonna have to monitor it. Pay attention for any new habits or mannerisms to pop up that may not be normal for you." Tsunade scribbles in her notebook and rips the page out messily; handing it to Neji. "And Shikamaru, I'd like you to watch for any changes in him as well. Understood?" 

"Yeah, I understand."

Tsunade smiles and shakes her head, "great. So you two can go home and take all of your friends with you. I'm supposed to be retired." 

Naruto bursts _ in from the living room with Rock Lee and TenTen"Is everything good, Grandma Tsunade?" _

"Yes, Neji will be perfectly fine. Now, everyone go home." 

::

"I'm sorry about putting all of that pressure on you before." TenTen whispers, "it's obvious that Shikamaru will take care of you." 

Neji glances back, "Yeah, he does.."

Rock Lee comes in like a wrecking ball as he always does. "I was so worried! And Sensei was as well!" He yells as he hugs Neji but for the first time, the prodigy doesn't pull away. "Please tell Sensei that I'm alright." 

"I can handle this task for you, Neji!"

Lee calls out, already running in the opposite direction. TenTen looks back at her teammate before taking off after him.

"I'm glad you're okay, Neji. Aren't you, Sasuke?" Naruto asks, at a much too high volume and slaps Sasuke's shoulder. 

"Yes, I am-" Sasuke rolls his eyes and grabs Naruto's wrist, preventing any more slaps to the shoulder. "I am very glad you're good and if you need anything. Just let us know. Alright?" 

"I'll let you know if anything else comes up." Neji smirks at Sasuke and glances over to Shikamaru who's looking off to the side.  _ Avoiding eye contact.  _

His face falls slightly, "Nara, you wanna get back home?"

"Sure."

"Okay, um.. Bye Sasuke.." He nods to the Uchiha and then the blond. "Naruto"

"Feel better!" Naruto calls as the two walk away and watching with his brows furrowed, Sasuke whispers "bye."


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So y'all, folks commented on my last update and were so so so kind. It made me want to give y'all a good update. These next 3 chapters are full of important plot moments. Alot of softness too. I hope y'all LOVE IT!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise.

It's late afternoon, the weather is still mildly warm and Shikamaru is lying on the hammock. The clouds are really out today and it's a welcome distraction from his brain running away from him. 

Obviously Neji is going through some things, Shikamaru knew that he was when they moved in. He's out of his comfort zone, there's no predicting the next move or different outcomes. Emotions aren't predictable. It was stupid of him to think he could treat this like battle strategy. He sighs and sits up. Fuck.   
::

"So..um, Sasuke." 

"Yes?"

"You love me?" 

Sasuke looks away, "Don't act shocked." 

Naruto laughs.

::

“TenTen, I need you to pick us up some takeout. I want to get Shikamaru dinner so we can have an excuse to talk but if I leave, he’ll get worried and I--” 

“I understand, what kind of food?”

“I was thinking about the Barbecue place that his sensei used to take him to..”

“I’ll get it for you. Don’t worry about paying me back.”

::

Naruto hugs Sasuke from behind while he’s cooking. The raven nervously asks him why he’s so cuddly; to which he replies, “I can cuddle you like I love you now.”

Sasuke laughs, not looking away from his task “So before, we were cuddling like bros?” 

“Well, I had thought so.”

::

The sky is changing from cool colors to a warm fire. The clouds take second place to the bursts of colors exploding behind it and Shikamaru doesn't know if he should go back down to the apartment yet. 

Evidently, he doesn't have to because Neji comes up to the roof holding bags of takeout up like a white flag. As if they are in conflict. "I figured you'd be hungry" 

"Yeah, actually I am pretty hungry.." he says, attempting his normal nonchalance.  
He can't tell if he succeeds in a convincing performance because Neji sits with crossed legs beside the hammock. His expression, as always, tells the Nara nothing. Shikamaru takes note that Neji doesn't ask to share the hammock, but instead of taking the time to question and overthink it. He moves to sit beside the hammock with the prodigy.

Neji falters for a moment whilst handing the take out plate to his roommate. His eyes looking at the other man sitting beneath the fiery sky, they sit staring for a brief moment before he finally hands over the food. “It’s from the place that you go to with your team. You do like Barbeque, right?”

“I really do like it,” Shikamaru smiles and opens the box, “and I can eat more without Choji stealing all of it.”

“You know, you and Choji have a really wholesome friendship. Now that I’m thinking of it, you guys are the only friends that I know of without a history of violence towards each other.”

“You have a history of violence with your friends?”

“How much time could you spend with Guy Sensei and Rock Lee without eventually punching them in the face?” he asks, breaking apart the chopsticks. 

“Ya know what? That’s fair. Um, Choji and I just don’t care about stuff like being better than one another, not enough to have a rivalry. We aren’t in love with each other either, or fighting for the affection of someone else, neither of us really annoys the other much. Most of the drama within groups around here usually stems from one or more of those things.”

Neji watches him talk, everything he says holds so much calmness and peace. It’s like a warm blanket in a cold room, “Shikamaru, I need to tell you something.” 

“Sure, what’s up?” 

“I.. I think I’m falling in love with you.”

Shikamaru's jerks up to him in surprise, “What?”


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise.

“Sasuke..” Naruto whispers into Sasuke’s neck, the raven shivers at the feeling and slowly reaches up to turn the stove off. Food left unfinished in the pot. Naruto loosens his grip on his waist allowing him room to turn around in his arms, Sasuke turns and they stand face to face. 

“When?” 

Sasuke studies his face, not for the first time, but this differs from brief moments of peace within their battles. He lifts his arm to place his hand gently on the side of Naruto’s neck. “I don’t know when I fell in love with you, I just know.. I know the moment that I understood.” 

“When?” Naruto whispers the question, feeling like he’s become a broken record. The world seems to have shifted, it is the same but simultaneously unrecognizable. All he knows in this moment is that he needs to know when he had captured the other.

“The night I left the village, Sakura tried to convince me to stay or to take her with me. When I put her to sleep, I was walking away from the village and I looked down on what was no longer home to me. For a moment, grief washed over me and I thought that if it had been you; I’d have taken you with me. I knew that you would have never followed me, but I couldn’t risk it. Even with the chances being so small. Which is why…”

“Which is why you fought like you would kill me but didn’t actually kill me.” Naruto looks at him with wide eyes, “I knew I meant something to you.”

“the only one who did.” Sasuke’s hand moves to cup the back of the blond’s neck, he gently pulls him into a kiss. The two both unsure of how to show softness but knowing that the other is just the same. Their lips move together in sync, just as their bodies move together in battle. The raven pushes off the stove and begins leading him towards the bedroom door, both men having already decided that food wasn’t important right now. Sasuke, knowing exactly how to open the door that occasionally gets jammed, opens the door without pulling away. He pushes naruto back onto the unmade bed with all the gentleness he could muster up. Naruto pulls back, coloring his face was an expression that Sasuke knows well. "I'm not fragile, Sasuke."

"You aren't fragile. You are precious, you treat precious things with care too."

Naruto's eyes are on him, there is a level of emotion in those eyes that Sasuke has always envied. In all his years of repressing every painful memory, every feeling, and every part of him outside of hate. The look in Naruto's eyes is absent in his own. He doesn't know if he can ever get that back. That is how he has always known that Naruto is much stronger than him. "I'm so fucking in love with you, sometimes I feel like this feels like it could kill me." 

"Love can't kill you, not physically." 

Sasuke leans over the blond and kisses him again. "If you are the thing that ruins me after the life I've lived. I will be proud to have been broken by you." 

"I couldn't walk away from you. You know that." 

Naruto tugs on Sasuke's shirt, a button up that the raven had seemingly claimed from his closet. He couldn't bring himself to mind. Sasuke stops his hand and leans closer, face to face, he whispers "Are you ready for this?" 

"I am." 

"Promise?" 

"I promise." 

…..

Shikamaru drops his chopsticks, staring at the man in front of him. Completely in shock; the hickies, the distance, the time he's spent with Sasuke. How could this even be a thing? 

"But.. Sasuke?" 

Neji squints at him for a second, "Sas- Oh! Oh gods, no! Me and Sasuke aren't like that."

Shikamaru looks at him with what he assumes is a really goofy look of skepticism. Neji drops his own chopsticks, holding his hands in a gesture that looks like panic and a sort of amusement that makes Shikamaru question himself. Neji looks at him seriously, "how did you find out?" 

"Uh, I noticed the marks-" he clears his throat, "I wasn't looking, I was literally just trying to move you to your bed because you looked like shit. I just wanted you not to wake up in more pain than you already would from drinking as much as you had. I didn't mean to-" 

Neji holds his hand up to stop him from talking, he happily takes the opportunity to shut the fuck up. Both men now feel unbelievably uncomfortable. "That wasn't because I genuinely love or want Sasuke."

Shikamaru grunts, uncomfortably staring forward. "You don't?"

"No! You- we're friends and we got too drunk. Even if I don't love Sasuke, he's fucking hot and I was depressed. He was also depressed. We have already talked the situation over, he feels the same. Naruto is his person. I'm sorry, my decision making skills are not what they used to be." 

Shikamaru, still not knowing how to respond to the situation, only responds to part of the word vomit explanation that has exited the normally stoic prodigy. " I mean, yes he is hot. That I get." 

Neji looks at him with an expression that says, "what the fuck?"

The Nara gestures comically with his arms and exclaims, "What the fuck am I supposed to say? That's the only part I had a response for!" 

Neji starts laughing, like the first night that made Shikamaru look at him differently. The night that made him want to be the one that makes Neji laugh that way. He drops his arms and stares at the prodigy, between his laughter he says "At least we agree that Sasuke is fuckable." 

This makes Shikamaru crack a smile. Despite his confusion and embarrassment, he realizes how comical this situation is. He begins to laugh too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, alot of people are stressed about Sasuke x Neji and tbh That's fair. It's not often in fics that characters have sex without any feelings involved but that really is what it was. It was some sexual tension and two hotties with a very small amount of coping skills. They're still friends, just friends who have drunkenly touched each other's peens.  
Also, yes there will be SasuNaru smut next chapter.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short but I wanted to get this in while I was able to write. So this chapter is entirely boyxboy smut. Lots of soft, wholesome, fluffy gay smut. So if that's not your thing, there's no reason to be here. 
> 
> Homophobia is really gross.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own naruto or anything from this franchise. They would certainly not let this chapter be a thing.

Naruto, spending his last few years completely differently than Sasuke, actually does masturbate like a normal person. This means that they do have lube in the bedside table, and that Sasuke has the mental image of Naruto masturbating alone in this apartment. A quite vivid one too. He takes a deep breath, scared to ask. Naruto answers his unasked question anyway, "I have a box of condoms but I never needed them. It's just something I assumed I was supposed to keep around." 

He has the thought that he has no right to feel bad, even if Naruto wasn't a virgin. He had lost his virginity to Neji Hyuga on a drunken whim..

"Sasuke..? Are you alright?"

"I am, my love. I'm okay." He looks away from glistening blue eyes. "I am so happy." 

His eyes trail down Naruto's body, he had imagined seeing it in this way. He hadn't since they were two genin, fighting one another between missions. Bathing in whatever water they could find. Obviously, not like this. He leans down and begins pressing kisses down Naruto's torso, looking up to the blond's face to watch those loving eyes flutter closed at the sensation. 

He relishes in the feeling of being able to press his lips against the body of the man that changed him. When he pulls away, Naruto's eyes widen a bit. "Sasuke, your eyes." 

He gently touches his own face, his sharingan had activated without him even realizing it. To capture this moment in detail and have a snapshot of the moment to always have. He reaches up to gently touch the blond's face. "I won't hurt you. I'll never hurt you with these eyes again. I just want to remember this moment in detail." 

Naruto, always trusting him, nods slowly and allows his eyes to flutter closed once more. Sasuke runs his finger gently down the blond's neck and down his torso, following with his eyes as the muscles tighten and loosen beneath his hands. After an excruciatingly long time, he asks "Are you ready?" 

"Yes. Please, fuck.." 

Sasuke looks up and smirks, "did you just beg?" 

"No.." 

"Mmm.. Okay," he leans down into Naruto's ear, "I'll give you everything you ask for." 

Naruto visibly shivers at the promise, he breaths out "thank you." 

Sasuke sits back up and reaches for the lube, pouring it on his finger. He asks again, "are you ready?"

Naruto nods, Sasuke takes a deep breath and grabs the blond's hand."Okay, I have to stretch you so this won't be painful. Squeeze my hand." 

The raven begins the process of stretching Naruto as slow and gentle as he can, kissing the other man's fingers with every pained noise. He listens as the pained noises become aroused whimpering. "Oh, I really like those noises.." 

He pulls out his fingers when he deems the blond ready, he puts on the condom with Naruto watching every move. He adds a bit of lube to be safe. 

"If you ask me if I'm ready one more fucking time, Sasuke. I swear to--"  
His whimpered threat is interrupted by Sasuke slowly beginning to push into him. The blond lets out a pained moan. Once fully seated in Naruto he stays still to allow the other man a moment to adjust. 

After a moment, between his panting, Naruto says "Please go." 

Sasuke smiles and obeys, pulling out and then re-entering. Naruto lets out a sound that makes a chill go through his spine, he never imagined that he'd be able to hear Naruto make these sounds. His lips parted perfectly with pleasure beneath him, there's so many feelings in his chest. So much feeling coursing through his body. Love, pleasure, melancholic for the nights he told himself that this could never happen for him, and a pure burst of happiness at the fact that it is happening. The love of his life moaning beneath him, the knowledge that he's the one responsible. He wants to watch Naruto come undone beneath him. 

He speeds up his thrusts, just slightly. He searches for that spot that would make Naruto come undone. After a couple of tries, he hits it. 

"FUCK--Sasuke!" Naruto's eyes roll back in pleasure, this satisfies Sasuke. His eyes taking mental pictures of the sight to hold onto forever. "Say my name-" he demands and Naruto obeys. With every thrust, between every moan, he says "Sasuke...Sasuke...Sasuke…" 

He relishes in the sounds as he speeds up his thrusts and continues to push them both to the edge. Naruto squeezes his hand, "I--"

"Come for me" 

With that, Naruto is pushed over the edge and Sasuke finishes soon after. Sasuke in the middle of his daze, looks over the man below him. Completely undone. He memorizes the site and deactivates his eyes. Pulling out of Naruto, he falls beside him and whispers "I fucking love you." 

"I love--you--too, Sasuke" Naruto breathes out between pants. "I love--you--too"


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise. 
> 
> I don't have much to say but I hope you like this update.

Shikamaru wasn't really sure how to respond to his situation, there was a look of sadness on Neji's face when he asked for time. He doesn't know what to do, he's in a situation he's never imagined being in. Two hours later, He stands in the middle of the village, few people still around the village. Most settling down in their homes for the night. 

He's alone in this. His eyes start to burn, Asuma and his father being the only people who understood the way his mind works. He's suddenly remembering the pain that he has been running away from by thinking about Neji's instead. He just needs help. 

…….

Shikamaru leans against the wall, his apartment building just across the street. He just watches the building, the shadow of Neji moving past the windows. 

"Shikamaru?"

"What? Oh-- Sakura. Hey." 

Sakura wearing a medic coat, implying she just finished a shift. Both speaking at the same time, "how's working going?"

"Are you okay?" 

Shikamaru sighs, "sorry." 

Sakura laughs quietly, "it's okay, the hospital isn't quite as rough now that everything is peaceful. Mostly just working with the injured from the war, due to missions not being particularly dangerous like before."

"Do you like it better than being a ninja?"

Sakura opens her mouth to respond but closes it. "Enough small talk. Why are you crying?"

"Well geez," he finally lights the cigarette that was just resting between his fingers before, sucking in the toxic smoke before releasing it in a long exhale. "I'm crying because I'm a fucking idiot. Asuma and my dad, they--

I just don't know how not to be."

Sakura looks at the apartment too, "Neji?" 

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's go. I'm gonna help you." 

"What?"

….. 

Neji watches the door, he understands why but he still feels like the wind has been knocked out of him. He doesn't know how to handle situations where everything is left in the air. He doesn't know how to even use the freedom he's been given. He only knows that he's in love with a person who may not be sure, or even reciprocate it. 

The worst of it is knowing that sometimes, if you love a person and it isn't reciprocal. It will rarely have a pleasant ending. Hinata taught him that, 

Sakura too. 

Two women that wasted their adolescence, and in Hinata's case, her life standing on the sidelines with a one sided love for a man who's heart belonged somewhere else. 

He doesn't want to end up like that.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise.

Tuffs of blond hair tickle Sasuke's face, as Naruto sleeps on his shoulder. His fingers gently holding Naruto's wrists. Counting each heartbeat, his lips silently forming the shape of each number. 

'23...24...25...26--'

…….

"I don't really know what to think with everything that happened and then a love confession. It's just.. Logically none of it makes sense to me." He says, fiddling with the unused creamer cups on the table. "And I'm not used to not understanding shit."

Sakura stirs her coffee, observing the change in color as the cream mixes in. She sighs quietly, "Emotions aren't logical. Sasuke was the love of my life, he was the ONE, or at least my silly naive mind believed he was. He tried to kill me and only showed any attention to Naruto. Logically, I should have seen this and let it go-- but I couldn't." 

Shikamaru slumps back against the seat, looking up at Sakura through tired eyes. "Was?"

"I think that my mind is adjusting what light I see him in, but it takes time.." She sighs and lifts the cup to her lips to take a sip with both hands. "I think.. No-- I know that Sasuke doesn't love Neji and I don't doubt that what he said to you was the truth. Sometimes sex isn't as pure and romantic as we picture it."

Shikamaru lets out a self deprecating chuckle. The Nara runs his hand down his face, "I know that.. It's just that--" 

Sakura looks up at him with an understanding in her eyes that makes him cut his sentence short. She knows what he was going to say, she's watched the love of her life be in love with her best friend since they were twelve. Holding out hope for something that was impossible. 

"You shouldn't miss your chance with someone that you love, especially after he just confessed to you. You both love each other and despite your insecurities, this could be everything you want. Romantically at least.. You aren't ugly, you're a hottie too. Don't mess yourself up by holding yourself to the standard of an Uchiha. That's just unrealistic.." Sakura smiles in an attempt at comforting, but there's still a sadness in it that makes Shikamaru understand the sentiment. 

He smiles, "Thanks Sakura." 

"No problem." Sakura waves her hand as if to slap away the gratitude, she downs the rest of her coffee and grabs her bag. Putting her medic coat back on, she gets up and begins walking towards the door. 

Shikamaru stands and follows her out. she nods and walks away, towards her own apartment. He calls out to her and she stops, turning towards him. "You know, this may sound weird but… maybe you should talk to Kiba."

"Kiba?" She tilts her head slightly. Shikamaru nods. 

"Okay, I will." 

He watches her back as her figure retreats into the night. He looks to the sky; The clouds covering the stars, he likes it like this. Things don't have to shine to look pretty, he prefers the clouds anyway. He puts his hands in his pockets and begins walking home. There's something he needs to do. 

…..

"Neji? You up?" He hears the door open and close, finally. He puts down the book and climbs off of his bed, "I am awake."

Shikamaru leans against his door frame, looking into the prodigy's room. "Can we talk?" 

"Yes we can." Neji's back straightens without realizing, immediately going into his former stoicism. 

"I--," Shikamaru clears his throat, "Do you remember the day that we ate ramen together after you were released from your duties?"

"I do remember."

"That was the first time I ever heard you laugh. It was the moment that changed you from a beautiful marble statue, into a human. In my eyes, you changed that day and I couldn't help but to want to be the person-- the person who made you laugh." Shikamaru laughs and Neji's shoulders loosen slightly. "That laugh, I was fucking giddy that you laughed at MY stories and living with you has been so fun. Getting to know you has been fun."

Neji's heart is pounding in his ears, as he watches Shikamaru push off of the doorframe and step forward. "I'm not Sasuke but I do love you. I could be with you, if you could be with me." 

Shikamaru holds out his hand, watching him expectantly. All Neji has to do is place his hand in Shikamaru's palm. "So, could you be with me?"

Neji smiles and places his hand in Shikamaru's hand . "I think I could be with you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Naruto and Sasuke weren't in this update much, I wanted to focus more on shikaneji for this update. More SasuNaru on the next update!


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all! New update, I'd like to say thank you to the people who reacted and to those who'd comment on each update. I'd memorize your names and look forward to seeing what you have to say. This fic will be coming to an end soon, somewhere around 3 or 4 more chapters worth of things I need to get done for this story. 
> 
> I do hope that the next story I begin, receives the same love as this one. It makes me feel unbelievable joy. So thank you. 
> 
> Anywhooo, there's some new POV's here for the sake of the story. I hope you like it. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything from the franchise.

Naruto's eyes flutter open when he feels Sasuke's lips press against his forehead. He rolls over so he's face to face with his best friend turned lover. 

"Good morning, Sunshine" Sasuke greets, pushing the blond hair off of Naruto's forehead gently. The sun peeking in through the window having made both of the men sweat through whilst they slept.

"Good morning, Sasuke.." Naruto doesn't move to throw the covers off of them, not wanting to ruin the moment. 

"Did you forget that you have classes with Iruka today?" 

"I did, but he's used to it." Naruto gives Sasuke his trademark grin. The Uchiha smiles at him and shakes his head. "I think you should get ready. Don't forget that you aren't Hokage yet."

"Hmm… is it really worth it though?" He whines. Sasuke rolls his eyes at him and pushes off the covers, "Fine, if you get up right now and get in that shower, I will get in with you." 

Naruto almost comically kicks the covers off of his feet, nearly falling out of the bed. 

Sasuke watches as Naruto goes to the bathroom and starts the shower. He bites his lip to hold back laughter.

Naruto stands beneath the stream of water. He patiently waits for the door to open and close behind him, and calloused fingertips to gently move up his sides. He leans in and whispers, "Tell the truth, sunshine. Are you still sore?"

The blond breaths out, "A little."

"Turn." 

Naruto obeys and Sasuke falls to his knees in front of him. Blue eyes widening as he takes in the sight he didn't expect to ever see. Sasuke teases the head with his tongue before taking the member into his mouth.  _ Holy fuck..  _ Naruto falls back against the wall, the water running down his face and chest.  _ Holy FUCK! _

::

Seems that not much has changed since his speech to Neji, admitting that the love wasn’t one sided. Partly due to the fact that neither know how to initiate the romantic aspect of being together, and partly because he’s still caught in the Sasuke fiasco mentally. He understands but he still questions how he could live up to Sasuke Uchiha. So they went to bed as usual, Shikamaru choosing to wake up earlier than usual to get to the Hokage’s office in time. He’s here even before Kakashi, sitting on the roof of the Hokage tower to smoke another cigarette. He yawns into his hand and then uses it to prop himself up. He takes a drag off of his cigarette and looks over the village. The shinobi's life is drastically different from what it was before. There are missions, but they aren’t dangerous. Most ‘missions’ are just retrieving supplies for rebuilding the village. He wonders if it'll be permanent, but part of him hopes the world stays this peaceful. The shred of normalcy that the shinobi have experienced during the time after the war has changed everyone. The most changed being Neji and Sasuke, but Shikamaru knows that he's changed too. 

Shikamaru’s attention is drawn to Kakashi climbing out through the window and taking a seat next to him. “You’re here early.” 

The Nara smirks at the Hokage and takes another hit of his cigarette, “You’re here late.”

“You’re right, I simply got lo-”

“Don’t even, Kakashi. You want a cigarette?”

“Bitch, I might be.”

Shikamaru chuckles and tosses the pack to the barely capable Hokage, looking out on the village while Kakashi lights his own cigarette. At twelve years old, he’d never expected to see Kakashi’s face and definitely not enough to have seen it enough to not stare at it. Their early morning smokes becoming somewhat routine at this point. “So what’s on the agenda today, Lord Kakashi?”

“Tch. first, you know I hate that formal shit. Second, I don’t know what needs to be done other than having a meeting today.”

“With who?”

The office door closes loudly, drawing their attention towards the office, and a moment later Sasuke climbs out the window. “Hey Kak-- huh.. Hotter than I expected. Not going to lie to you.” 

“Oh shut up, you knew I was an entire meal even with the mask.”

"I had a suspicion but eh, can I get one of those?"

"Yep." Shikamaru answers, gesturing for Kakashi to hand over the pack. Sasuke takes the pack and pulls one out, grabbing the lighter from Kakashi. 

"So this is the meeting?" 

_ "Yep"  _ answers the other two men in unison.

"I mean, alright then."

::

Shikamaru went back to his work to allow the other two men to talk about whatever they planned the meeting to talk about. Doing some paperwork, not curious enough to eavesdrop on them. Kakashi eventually comes back inside with his mask back on his face. “Shikamaru, take a smoke break.”

“What?” 

“You heard me.”

Shikamaru decides not to question it, he’s always down for a break from doing anything. He gets up and steps outside onto the roof. Sasuke is still sitting there, “I wanted to talk to you about Neji.”

His heart pounds aggressively, “sure.”

He sits down without even pulling out his pack, Sasuke sighs and closes his eyes. Presumably to think of the right words to say. Words that Shikamaru hopes won’t ruin everything, but who knows at this point. “So, I know that you aren’t stupid. I know that you know about me and Neji having sex.”

_ Ah, very straightforward. Gotta appreciate that about the Uchiha. _ “I do.”

“I wanted to make sure you understand the whole situation.. Mm..so when Gaara and Temari came to the village, we were both kinda fucked up. Neji thought that with you and Temari being older, you’d finally get together..”

“And you thought that Gaara was more than a friend to Naruto.”

Sasuke nods, “We stole Kakashi’s alcohol, and we were drinking under a tree, then I kissed him. It just kind of happened, I was just a substitution for you.”

“You wouldn’t want to do it again?”

“No. I woke up next to the love of my life this morning. I wouldn’t let that go for anyone, not even a beautiful Hyuga. Not to mention, Neji wants you.” 

“I’m not from a prestigious clan, or.. pretty like you.”

Sasuke laughs, “yeah, well look what happens to people from prestigious clans. Don’t compare yourself to me. Even if you do, you’d quickly realize that you’re better. You have the intelligence, less terroristic history, the only difference is my tainted name. You should just accept the love he wants to give you.”

“You’re so different now.”

Sasuke gives him a slight smile and gets up, “I hope so.”

"Are you going home?" 

  
"Not yet, I still have one more thing I need to do." With that, he jumps from the roof to the ground and walks off.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything from the franchise.

Sakura is relieved to know that she doesn't have a shift. She ended up finding kiba after leaving Shikamaru, like he said. She found him drinking. She wasn't sure why Shikamaru would tell her to speak to him but after a short conversation, she understood immediately. Kiba is grieving a love he can never have too, despite the difference in their situations. 

_ "Did you ever tell her?" She asks, tears threatening to spill.  _

_ "I always assumed that she'd be there. I didn't think I had to do it so soon but because I didn't have the balls to confess, she's gone forever and she'll never know."  _

_ She pulls her knees to her chest and rests her head on them. "What do you think you'd do, if you had told her but you still couldn't be with her?" _

_ Kiba runs his fingers through Akamaru's fur, "Well, I guess I'd have to try to love her as a friend instead. Nothing would have stopped me from being there for her." _

_ "Is that even possible?" _

_ "It's possible but it isn't easy." _

She sits on her balcony with a knee pulled to her chest. It's her spot to think, without her friends she never knows where to go or who to go to. So she comes here and she goes to her own mind. 

"Sakura."

She startles and hits the back of her head on the railing, "What the fuck!?" 

She touches the back of her head and looks at her fingers, thankfully there's no blood. Finally looking up to see that it's Sasuke that jumped onto her balcony it's SASUKE crouched on the railing.  _ Fuck fuck fuck. _

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to speak to you." 

Sakura wraps her hands around the railing and pulls herself up quickly. "And you couldn't have just knocked on the door or gone to the hospital while I was on a shift?"

"No I couldn't have and I don't know your work schedule."

Sakura crosses her arms and frowns, he's right. There's no reason that he'd know that. He doesn't know her. 

Sasuke looks at her quietly, his face giving no clues as to what he's thinking. Like always. Sakura steps back until her back is pressed against the railing, as far as she can get away from him. "Well.. why are you here?"

The breeze gently rustles his black hair, showing his mixed and matched eyes. He's silent, infuriatingly so. "Just fucking tell me why you were here." 

"I'm sorry I couldn't be the person you wanted me to be." 

Sakura's eyes widen, she opens her mouth and quickly closes it. "Don't fucking patronize me." 

"I'm not. Sakura, I couldn't love you like you wanted me to. I couldn't be in love with you because I'm gay. It's not because you don't deserve to be loved."

Tears well up in her eyes, burning as she refuses to let them overflow. "Why are you saying this?"

"Because you deserve closure."

"Closure?"

Sasuke jumps down from the railing and holds out his hand. "Acceptance of what couldn't have been, so maybe we can open the door to being the way we were supposed to be." 

"What were we supposed to be?"

"You were a part of the family I found, after the loss of the family I was born with." 

Sakura looks at Sasuke's face and down to his extended hand. The butterflies keep storming through her body; leaving destruction in their wake. She holds out her hand and he takes it. "I suppose can live with that." 

Sasuke gives a small smile and lifts his free hand. Pressing two fingers into her forehead. "Thank you." 

The man releases her hand and climbs back onto the railing, jumping down to the ground beneath her balcony; leaving Sakura alone. 

::

“I’m sorry, I took so long to come see you.” 

Pale hands run across the marble stone of Hinata’s grave. The untouched cleanliness of the stone is a reminder of just how little time has passed, with the intensity of falling for Shikamaru and all that has changed, it feels as though it’s been a year. “I hope you can forgive my distance, miss Hinata. A lot has happened.” 

He gives a sad smile, “I wondered if you wanted to know about it? I had to stay in your bedroom for a little while, I promise that I left everything like it was--” 

His uncle watches from a distance, knowing how to stay in Neji's blind spot to remain undetected. Sadness and regret keeps him silent as he listens to his nephew tell the story of his life since the war. Including his new found quiet as he listens to his nephew tell Hinata everything that happened in the time between her death and now. His mind imagining his twin brother standing with his hand on his son's shoulder. A smile on his face at the sight of his son, free to find his own path in a way that he never could. His feet lock in place, like they were planted inside the ground. The apparition looks towards him and smiles, lips forming the words 'thank you' before it disappears. 

"I just wondered if-- if it was okay to be happy like this...without you here?" 

Hiashi tears his eyes away from the spot he saw the apparition of his brother, and looks toward his nephew. He approaches the prodigy and places his hand gently on the boy's shoulder, "Hinata chose to save you, son. She wanted nothing more than to see you happy and prospering, just as you have." 

Neji doesn't look back as he traces the hiragana on the stone, "Are you sure that's the truth, uncle?" 

Hiashi decides to drop the formality and lowers down to sit on the grass beside his nephew. "I don't believe I'm sure of much anymore, nephew. However, I am positive of this." 

"How much did you hear?"

"My apologies, Neji. I'm afraid when I sensed your arrival, curiosity got the best of me."

"Even..?"

"Even the little bit about that Nara boy? I did hear that. He's a respectable young man, a bit unconventional in the way he carries himself, but respectable nonetheless. Do you see a future with him?"

Neji looks back with the same stoic expression, that as a fellow Hyuga, he can read as a look of surprise and barely noticeable relief. "It hasn't been very long.. but I think that I do." 

"I hope for you to have only the best, whether it be the Nara boy, or another."

"Uncle.." 

"Your father would be so proud to see the man that you have become. I'm sorry that because of me, he couldn't be here." 

Neji says nothing, turning to look at the nameless stone that belongs to his father. 

"I have been working with the Hokage and that loud Uzumaki boy to change clan rules."

Neji's head jerks up in surprise, "What?" 

"Hinata would have wanted me to."

The boy's hand slides off the stone, "I've been released from my duties, why are you telling me this?" 

"Because if you would be willing, I would like for you and Hanabi to take over the clan as co-heads." 

"Me?" Neji barely breathes out the words, in understandable shock. Considering the life he has led. 

"If you are willing. You have more than earned the title." 

Neji nods slowly, not speaking a word but his eyes tell Hiashi everything he is thinking. "There is still some work to do but you will be updated on progress consistently." 

"Yes, Uncle." 

He stands swiftly, and pats the young prodigy's shoulder. "I enjoyed this, maybe we can converse more often."

Neji smiles slightly, "I'd like that."   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if any of y'all follow my Tumblr, you may know that I'm not the biggest fan of Sakura as a character for certain reasons. However, after a previous heartbreak close to a year ago with the person who convinced me to start writing this very fic. I found myself understanding that aspect of her character a bit more so I wanted to draw those parallels in this chapter and give her the closure that she needs to let Sasuke go. Just how I needed to let him go, despite all of the history. I felt that it was only fitting.


End file.
